Until I Found Him
by redambition
Summary: "I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck. Wherever he is, whenever it's right; he'll come out of nowhere and into my life." -Adapted from "Haven't Met You Yet" By Michael Bublé Rachel's POV (Finchel Endgame) Companion story to "Until I Found Her" by Firewifesara. (Complete)
1. New Directions for Her

**_Welcome to my newest Fanfic! _**

**_A few things before you get started. This is a multichapter AU story loosely inspired by How I Met Your Mother and a companion piece to 'Until I Found Her' (There is a link to this in my Bio) by the amazingly awesome Firewifesara. This story will focus on Rachel's POV while 'Until I Found Her' will be centered on Finn's POV. It doesn't matter which story you read you first since they are companion pieces to one another. We have most of the stories completed and plan to update twice a week. It's been a pleasure to work on this epic project with Firewifesara who is a genius. We've put so much hard work, laughter, conversations long enough to get me reprimanded by a child, and insane ideas into the making of this story. I had no idea that a collaboration could be so much fun and I couldn't imagine having shared this experience with anyone else! I hope that you all will enjoy this unique collaboration as much as we've enjoyed writing it! _**

**_Disclaimer: We Do Not Own Glee, How I Met Your Mother, Man of La Mancha, any of the music cues, or any of the characters used. We do however own Tessa and Frank._**

* * *

Rachel Berry tossed her bag and sheet music down by the door as she entered her New York apartment. She started to draw her long brown hair up into a ponytail at the crown of her head and breezed past her roommate, seated on the couch, to retrieve her yoga mat from the corner. She brought the thin, pink mat over, laid it down on top of the large throw rug in the middle of their living room and immediately lie down on her back, ready to stretch out her tense muscles.

"I take it the audition went well" Santana called from her place on the couch, one eyebrow raised as she looked down at her best friend and roommate.

"It's always the same way" Rachel scoffed, avoiding eye contact with the strikingly beautiful Latina as she further dissolved into her own pity party. "I was only halfway through my song when they cut me off to tell me they would _be in touch_" she scowled. "And the woman in charge didn't take her eyes off of my nose the entire time! I'm sure they just laughed at me when I left, they always think I'm a freak."

"Not that you aren't a freak, but I'm sure you're exaggerating Berry. We both know you tend to over dramatize things" Santana sighed, putting down her magazine and slipping down from the couch. Familiar with Rachel's 'after audition freakout' routine she sat cross-legged on the edge of the pink mat, mirroring Rachel's new position. When she held out her hands Rachel accepted them immediately, allowing Santana to pull her, deepening her stretch. It was nice to know that in spite of her harsh demeanor, Santana was there for her; she always had been.

"I'm not exaggerating San, I know it. I'm just so sick of it all, why can't I just walk into an audition once, and not be written off because of my nose, or my height, or my-"

"Bee stings for breasts, toddler-like style, and whiny voice?"

"Well this is the worst pep talk ever" Rachel frowned, dropping Santana's hands and sitting up straight.

"Okay, the feisty, motormouth Rachel Berry I know would have had a loud, totally lame comeback for that. What's wrong with you?" Santana asked, trapping Rachel in her interrogative stare.

"Maybe I just didn't feel like arguing" Rachel said softly, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Or maybe you're really letting these stuck up theater nerds get under your skin this time. You used to be more confident than this Rachel. Confident enough, if I remember correctly, to almost do a nude scene in an independent film once. Where is _that_ Rachel?"

Rachel blushed at the memory of her almost role, and shook her head. "That was a terrible decision, _you_ showed me that."

"Well of course it was a terrible decision hobbit, but at least you had enough confidence to feel like you _could_ do it. You were a total diva, walking around here half naked all the time and-."

"That's because I was dating Brody at the time San" Rachel cut her off, cringing slightly at the mention of her ex...whatever he was to her. Looking back, she couldn't really find a proper title for their weird excuse of a relationship. "I was trying to, I don't know, live up to his level of self worth, and confidence. I was getting makeovers, and changing my wardrobe completely, and I just really wasn't staying true to myself."

"Blah, blah, blah. All of that was your choice Berry, you can't blame him for that. Yeah, donkey face was a total tool and I sometimes thought about slipping rat poison in his oatmeal, but you're both at fault for the way that turned out. Mostly you, because you wouldn't listen to me." Rachel scowled, but said nothing as her best friend laid it all out for her. No one could make her face up to the cold, hard truth quite like Santana. "In spite of all your ridiculous behavior, at that time you really had a lot of confidence in yourself, and in your talent. I think you lost it when the two of you broke up, and you've given up on finding it since."

"So, you're saying that my self-esteem is directly connected to my love life" Rachel asked, her hands flying to her hips as she prepared to launch into a rant.

"I'm _saying_ that your self esteem took a hard hit because of your love life, and you need to suck it up and move on" Santana told her, standing up from her place on the ground. "No, you don't need anyone to make you feel good about yourself, but if putting yourself out there and giving someone a chance will give you a little boost, why not do it? It's better than being lonely."

Rachel rolled her eyes dramatically. "I don't think so San. I don't need, nor do I really want a relationship right now. Besides, between giving voice lessons and searching for any audition I can, I don't really have time to be lonely."

Rachel immediately recognized the evilly sweet smirk that slipped onto Santana's face. "Oh, you don't? Hmm, that's odd. Because, I could swear that lonely people, wishing for companionship but are _too afraid to go out and find it_, were the only ones who kept _boyfriend pillows."_

Rachel's face immediately broke out into a heated blush. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"So if I walk into your bedroom and open the chest in the bottom corner of your closet, I won't find a boyfriend pillow? Complete with two arms, and dressed in a blue button down pajama top that I _know_ I see in the laundry frequently."

"How could you possibly know about that" Rachel cried, shooting up to her feet and pointing an accusatory finger at her best friend.

"I snoop, it's what best friends do. Besides, if I didn't know about your freakish little boyfriend substitute, I couldn't call you out on it and make you see the obvious" she shrugged, reaching out to place her hands on Rachel's shoulders. "You need to go out Rachel, let yourself live a little. Hell, actually sleep with a real man and not a glorified pillow. You can't tell me you really get anything out of that."

"Well look who's talking" Rachel said, shaking off Santana's hands and crossing her arms over her chest. "All this dating advice from the queen of avoiding relationships herself." Rachel smiled when Santana faltered, her lips pressed tightly together.

"This isn't about me, I'm fine._ I_ don't have some creepy relationship substitute hidden in my closet..."

"Fine, huh" Rachel challenged, watching with a victorious smile as Santana looked down at her feet. "You wanted to _call me out_, and I took it. Let's talk about you. Or better yet, let's talk about you and _Brittany_."

"Easy hobbit..."

"You can't avoid her forever San, she doesn't deserve it" Rachel sighed, bending down to roll up the forgotten yoga mat.

"Yeah, well maybe she does. I didn't deserve to be kept in her back pocket like a toy all that time, but it didn't stop her."

"She was not toying with you Santana, she really cared about you but she had a boyfriend at the time. Which isn't the case anymore you know..." Rachel trailed off, carrying the yoga mat over to place back in it's spot.

"What?" Santana questioned, her eyes snapping up to look at Rachel. "How do you know that?"

"Maybe you would know too if you'd answer any of her phone calls" Rachel scolded. "She's called me a few times, mostly asking how you were."

Santana took a long, steadying breath before meeting Rachel's eyes again. "How does she think I am? I pretty much became a lesbian for her. I laid all my feelings out for her that day, and she just left me hanging out to dry for _him_."

"Who's over dramatizing things now San" Rachel challenged. "She didn't leave you out to dry, she tried to stay close with you and work through things, you're the one who up and disappeared on her. She was probably just as confused as you were."

"Well I'm not confused anymore, I'm over it" Santana shrugged, turning away and walking into the kitchen with Rachel on her heels. Rachel shook her head at her stubborn best friend as she approached the refrigerator, pulling out a chilled water bottle. Wordlessly, she handed one to Rachel as well before closing the door.

"Sure you are. There's obviously nothing there; I mean you just refuse to answer her calls and ignore her text messages like the plague, but turn into a school girl with a crush any time someone mentions her."

"I swear this conversation was a lot more fun about ten minutes ago..." the Latina girl groaned, sitting down on one of the stools at their kitchen bar. Rachel sat down beside her, reaching out and placing a hand on her knee.

"Why don't you just hear her out San? You haven't been on a real date in months, and say what you want but I know it's because you still love Brittany."

"Maybe not. Maybe I've moved on and started to like guys again" she retorted, brushing Rachel's hand off with a pointed look. "Strictly dickly."

"Right. Is that why you suddenly need something from the bathroom every time I'm about to get in the shower?" Santana frowned, but soon gave in and started to laugh with Rachel.

"Alright, calm your bee stings hobbit. You've inherited my mouth suddenly, let's see if you have the lady balls to back it up. I keep seeing flyers for a big costume party at Club Sarnona this weekend. You and I, are going to go. And we're not going to leave until we both have dates."

Rachel laughed at her friend loudly, expecting her to join in, but paused when she didn't. "Santana, I can't remember the last party I went to-"

"Because you were trashed."

"-And I certainly don't have a random Halloween costume just lying around to wear."

"No problem, we can go shopping tomorrow evening. And don't even try to tell me you're busy" she said loudly, cutting Rachel off before she could protest. "I know you don't give voice lessons on the day after an audition, and I'll be done with my last clients at the gym by 2 tomorrow. It's perfect." Rachel paused, chewing her lower lip as her best friend leveled her in a stare. The Latina brought her water bottle to her lips, draining the last remnants of the water before placing the empty bottle down on the bar.

"I don't know...what's in it for me" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Um, a second chance at a social life, a fun night out, a free dinner, and _possibly _a night of mind blowing sex with a hot stranger" Santana said, listing each possibility off on her finger as Rachel rolled her eyes liberally. "Donkey face probably didn't set the bar very high for that last one, so you need a refresher."

"Ah, let's not go there!" Rachel cried, covering her face with her hands. There was no use in denying the lack of 'wow factor' in her past sexual prowess, her best friend knew her too well for that. Instead, she sighed, and relented.

"See what I mean, you need this hobbit. So, are you in or you out?"

Rachel stared at her best friend, mentally running through the pros and cons of the proposition. Truth was, she really hadn't been out in far too long, and in spite of her hesitation, she couldn't deny that she'd spent one too many nights alone in her room, watching romantic comedies or heart breaking comedies while holding tight to her boyfriend pillow, Gentleman. Santana was right, and she knew it. With a firm nod, she brought her own bottle to her lips, tilting it back until it was empty as well.

"Fine, I'm in. But you're buying my drinks."

**_Want to know what Finn was up to? Go read 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! _**

**_Hope that you are enjoying the concept so far! Reviews are always appreciated! _**


	2. Girls Night Out

_**Thank you all for your support so far on these stories! We hope that you will stick with our unique concept and continue to enjoy! Don't forget to read 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! **_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters. **_

"I'm not coming out" Rachel called through the thin wooden door of the dressing room. Taking a peek in the mirror she scowled at the meager material of what was supposed to be a costume Santana had picked out for her. She should have known better than to even try it on. The 'bad witch' costume consisted of an extremely tight bustier half top that barely contained even her admittedly smaller bosom, with a tiny black and neon pink skirt that was cut jaggedly at the edges. Though she was very partial to the shade of pink, it simply wasn't worth it to wear something that made her look so scandalous.

"So help me, if I have to crawl in there and drag you out, you might come out missing some limbs Berry."

"This whole thing looks ridiculous" Rachel pouted, pulling the over-sized witch hat, that frankly looked a little out of place paired with such an outrageous costume, onto her head.

"No, the baby tee and stockings you've been wearing all day look ridiculous; that costume is seriously hot. Now shut your face gash and open the door before I let Snixx loose." Rachel gulped at the mention of her best friends 'alter ego'. She hadn't seen that side of Santana many times since they had graduated high school, but she definitely knew what it was like. She had yet to be on the receiving end of a Snixx fit, and wasn't at all keen on receiving that honor today, so with a loud groan she swung open the door, promptly raising her arms to cover her bosom and exposed tummy.

"Damn little Berry" Santana praised, giving Rachel's costume a once over.

"Don't even, I just look silly. Why does it have to be such an outrageously revealing costume, why couldn't you have found a more classic witch? Ooh like Elphaba in Wicked!" Rachel cried, her enthusiasm dying the minute she saw the stern set to Santana's jaw.

"Because we're going to a _party_ where the point is to look sexy and meet people. I know sexy is a bit of a foreign concept for you, but it's about time we break you in. Baby steps looks like the best option for such an extreme case though, so don't worry. Momma Lopez has brought more options" she announced, holding her arm out to give Rachel the new stack of costumes. Rachel quickly started to flip through them, questioning her best friends sanity all the while.

She passed a 'sexy officer', 'sexy stewardess', 'sexy sailor', and even a 'sexy hobbit' costume that she knew was a direct joke from Santana, and sighed aloud. God, why did everything have to be so overly sexual and revealing? It just wasn't her at all. She had almost given up hope when she got to the final costume, a huge smile breaking across her face.

"Dorothy" Rachel cried, nearly dropping all of the rejected costumes as she held up the small, checkered blue and white dress. The dress, a little on the shorter side but not much shorter than some of her favorite skirts; had a cutely ruffled bottom that flared out, and was worn over a bright white shirt lined with the same checkered blue design. There was a bright red bow in the center of the white shirt as well as on each sleeve to match the red buttons on the dress as well as the red bows decorating the fronts of the white stockings that were to be worn with the dress.

"I had a feeling you'd go for that one" Santana grinned at her. "I actually don't hate that costume. It's a perfect blend of sexy and cute, and doesn't push you so far out of your comfort zone that I have to drag you to the party by force" she said, clapping her hands together quietly in victory.

Rachel beamed back at her, leaning forward to close her best friend in a hug. "Chill baby Berry, you said yes to a sweet costume, not your wedding dress" she laughed, pulling back slightly from Rachel's enthusiastic hug. Rachel wasn't offended, she knew Santana wasn't quite as affectionate as she tended to be.

"I don't see that happening anytime soon" Rachel mused, trying to keep the slight longing out of her tone. Where did that come from?

"You never know. Especially when everyone sees you in this" Santana offered, spinning Rachel around to guide her back into the dressing room. "And I have the perfect red pumps at home to go with it."

"Hey, where's your costume" Rachel asked noticing for the first time that Santana wasn't actually holding anything for herself.

"Please. I found mine when you were holed up in here the first time; I'm going to be a candy striper. I even had time to pay for it while you were trying to figure out how to get your panties out of a twist and your boobs up where they should be." Rachel followed her pointing finger towards where their things lie in a nearby chair, and sure enough there was a _Spirit Store_ bag tucked right between their things. "Not all of us are over obsessive head cases" Santana told her, giving Rachel one final nudge into the dressing room and closing the door on her.

For the first time since they had been in the costume shop, Rachel was excited as she stripped off the skanky witch costume and started to pull on the Dorothy dress. She hummed '_follow the yellow brick road_' to herself as she started to dress, and it wasn't long before she swung the small wooden door open, posing with her hands on her hips before a very approving Santana.

"Sexy."

* * *

"I look _super_ hott" Rachel slurred, holding tightly to Santana's forearm as they walked through the crowded club that weekend. The smell of smoke, sweat, and booze wafted into her nose, and it might have been gross had she not been already intoxicated herself.

True to her word, Santana had supplied the drinks for them to 'pre-game' with some time before they left for the costume party. She had claimed that she wanted to try her hand at creating a mixed drink, and had come home with two different types of liquor, peach daiquiri mix, and pineapple juice. Rachel couldn't deny that Santana might have been onto something; the fruity drink tasted magnificent and went down smoothly. She hadn't been able to put the tasty drink down, which ultimately resulted in the shiny red pumps adorning her feet carrying her through on slightly wobbly legs. She still felt awesome though, Santana was a genius.

"I'm thirsty" Rachel announced, suddenly changing their course to lead them to the bar. "Do you think they can mix up the stuff like we had at home? Can you show them?"

"Probably not, they don't usually do home-made specials at these kinds of places" Santana replied, speaking loudly to be heard over the loud sound of the blaring music.

"Well that's what I want. Quick, go show the bartender your breasts as a bribe" Rachel exclaimed, smiling widely at her flawless plan.

"I don't think that's gonna work this time baby Berry" Santana chuckled.

"Fine, I'll show him mine" she reasoned, tugging the taller girl harder towards the bar, ignoring the loud sound of her cackle beside her.

"Yeah, that's _definitely_ not going to work. Don't worry, I'll order you something else almost as good" the gorgeous Latina offered with a wink, stepping in front of Rachel before she could reach the bartender.

Appeased for the time being, Rachel stepped back and waited patiently as Santana ordered their drinks, swaying in place to the steady beat of the music. She accepted the replacement drink excitedly when Santana handed it to her, downing it in just a few gulps. It wasn't nearly as good as what she'd drank at home, but it would have to do. She immediately handed the empty cup back to her friend. "More!" Before Santana had the chance to respond the notes of _Pumping Blood_ met her ears, and Rachel squealed in excitement. "Let's dance!" Rachel whirled around, holding tightly to her best friends hand as she once again tugged her in the direction that she saw fit.

"Do you want to dance on the stage" Santana asked, nodding towards the front of the club. There was a raised stage where a large number of people were writhing around, separated from the larger crowd on the actual dance floor.

"No" Rachel answered loudly, shaking her head. "I want to be in the middle of everyone, the center of attention" she declared, pulling on the Latina until they were in the very center of the dance floor. Happy with her placement she spun around, looping her arms around Santana's neck and rocking her hips as she started to sing the lyrics into her ear. The alcohol coursing through her system was certainly doing its job to embolden her, and it wasn't long before she was grinding her hips against her friends, toying with the ends of her long dark hair.

"Damn Berry, you keep this up and _you_ might be the lucky date I bring home tonight" Santana purred suggestively, reaching up to tug slightly on one of Rachel's pigtails.

"Ohhh no" she laughed, pulling back to put some distance between them and re-tidying her hair. "You're not getting off that easy San, we had a deal" she giggled, pointing a wobbly finger towards her. Santana rolled her eyes, a slight pout to her lips as she looked back at her.

"You're no fun. Fine" she grumbled.

"Good luck" Rachel called, giggling as she backed herself into another tight group of people. Instead of apologizing, she folded herself into the strangers' dance, wrapping her arm around the neck of the man dressed as a fighter pilot behind her. She shot Santana a proud wink, more than pleased when she felt the man's hands come to rest on her hips, moving her to his rhythm.

* * *

She had been dancing for far too long, that's all that her feet kept screaming. She knew better than to take off the ridiculously high heels though. Instead, Rachel turned around, offering an apologetic smile to her latest dance partner before breaking away in search of a couch to sit on and relieve her aching soles. On her way out of the crowd of swarming bodies, she felt her foot hit something, and she started to fall. Before she could hit the ground however, she was braced by another body, hot hands gripping her side and elbow to steady her. Looking down at the foot in front of her, some part of her mind wondered if this person had tripped her. Shaking her head of the thought, she looked up into the face of a curly haired man, with a small pair of spectacles on his face.

"Sorry about that. The ladies just tend to fall for me" he said, grinning at Rachel as he helped her into a steady position, his hands never leaving her body. How kind of him, he obviously cared about her well-being, ensuring that she was stable.

Rachel giggled, placing a hand out on his shoulder to further regain her extremely wobbly composure. "Do you always catch them?"

"When they're as sexy as you I do" he answered, releasing his hold on her to adjust his spectacles on his face. She idly wondered if the glasses were really his, or just a part of the costume. He was dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a white shirt bearing the words 'Vote for Pedro'. It was really uncanny how much he looked like Napoleon Dynamite, he had the fro and all.

"Why thank you _Napoleon_" she flirted, pleased with the fact that someone had finally called her sexy. That was the goal right, to be sexy? She'd been dancing her heart out all night with numerous men, but in spite of the fact that some of them definitely seemed interested through body language alone, no one had outright complimented her yet unless '_wanna go to the upstairs level and make out'_ was supposed to be a compliment. Well, _Mission finally accomplished_ she thought, mentally rubbing the 'sexy' compliment in Santana's face. _Where was Santana? _She could deal with that later, for now she would focus on the kind man in front of her. The party had been going on for quite some time, she needed a date and this might just be it. "That's a wonderfully endearing costume" she told him, bringing her other arm up to his shoulder and starting to dance again in spite of her aching feet.

"Thank you. That's a hott costume you're wearing too, but I'd bet it looks even better off" he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Rachel laughed loudly at him once again, he was silly. "I wonder whose idea it was to throw a costume party? It's not even Halloween" Rachel wondered aloud, letting her head droop onto the man's shoulder. Her feet had stopped moving altogether as she depended on him to sway for them.

"I don't know but I like it. It's been fun, especially now."

"It is fun. Just like me, I'm fun" she announced, a small question in her voice as she raised her head to look him directly in the eye. "Do you think I'm fun" she asked, grinning when he nodded eagerly. Her alcohol induced joy was so much that she leaned forward again, enveloping him in a tight bear hug. "You're fun too Napoleon. And funny."

"Ben Israel, Jacob Ben Israel" he corrected in a horrible James Bond impression. Rachel giggled at him for the umpteenth time that night, before her line of thought shifted again.

"Wait, so you _are_ Jewish" she cried, pulling back and pointing a finger at him as he nodded. When she had first looked at his large, curly hair, and his slightly larger nose, not unlike her own, she had wondered but his name had really set it off for her. "I am too! We have so much in common" she gushed, reaching up to pat his large, puffy array of hair. "My daddy says us Jews should stick together you know."

"We should go out some time so you can keep daddy happy" he suggested. Rachel missed the underlying meaning in his words as well as the creepy leer he was aiming at her as she pulled a small pink pen from the pocket of her dress. Rachel Berry was nothing if not prepared. She quickly pulled his hand toward her, writing her phone number down on the pale skin of his slightly sweaty palm.

"Wow...all nine digits" he whispered, barely audible over the sound of music and not at all audible to Rachel's ears, now pounding right along with the hard beat of the music. She closed her eyes against the growing headache, wishing Santana would just show up already. She really wanted to go home now that she had succeeded in her quest. She didn't even have the energy to keep up her flirting with the boy, continuing to lean on him until she felt a hand on her elbow and looked around to see the face she'd most been hoping to see.

"We can go now" Santana told Rachel loudly, scowling at her new friend in the process.

Rachel wrung herself away from Jacob and leaned forward to throw her arms around the Latina girls neck. "Okay. But wait, you need a date!"

"While you were being violated by this thing, I was busy lassoing a cowboy of my own" she smirked, tightening her arm around Rachel's waist to help support her. "Now come on, maybe we can find you someone descent between here and the exit. Avoid the tool with the firehose though, that's barely a step above Napoleon here."

"Jacob" he finally piped in, his voice wavering when Santana's condescending gaze turned on him again.

"Beat it Jewfro" she threatened, and Rachel was actually surprised when he backed away quickly, disappearing into the crowd. She was too tired, or too drunk, or both to really do anything about it however, and simply waved at his retreated form.

"That was very rude Santana. Jacob was a very nice man, he took my number and wants to take me out soon. We're going to have lots of Jewish fun" she added, clapping her hands while she allowed the taller girl to lead her out of the club.

"_Seriously_" Santana asked, looking down at Rachel with an extremely arched eyebrow when they reached the outside. The fresh night air felt amazing on Rachel's clammy forehead, and she simply nodded in response. "God I can not _wait_ for you to see how drunk you are right now" she laughed, pulling Rachel forward toward the road to hail a taxi.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, let's get going" she sighed, patting Rachel on the top of her head lightly. Rachel shrugged, resigning to sit on the curb while Santana waved her arm around, more than relieved when a cab finally pulled up to take them home.

_**Thanks for reading! We really hope you are enjoying so far! Reviews are always welcomed!**_

_**Wanna know what was going on in Finn's world? Check out 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara. There is a link in my Bio!** _


	3. Her Naked Man

_**A/N: First of all, thank you all so much for your support and interest so far. I realize that this story is a bit of a journey, and will require a lot of trust from you guys, but I hope that you stick with us! You know our stories, you know that we wouldn't do wrong by our precious Finchel! This next chapter was unbelievably fun to write, and I hope that you all will enjoy it as much as my genius partner firewifesara and I enjoyed thinking this stuff up! Don't forget to check in on Finn in 'Until I Found Her'.**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not own Glee, HIMYM, Man of La Mancha, or any of the characters involved. We have a sneaking suspicion that nobody reads these notes, so fun fact: we are dirty dirty girls. Oh and P.S. Frank and Tessa? They actually are ours.**_

* * *

"Why did you let me get so drunk" Rachel moaned, pulling her head from over the toilet seat. She turned to sit on her behind, wiping her mouth off with the back of her arm and accepted the glass of water Santana handed to her.

"You're fun when you're drunk" the Latina girl shrugged, reaching out to place a hand on Rachel's forehead. "For a minute there I thought I was gonna get to second base" she winked.

Rachel grimaced at her friend and pulled herself up, flushing the toilet before stepping over to the sink to clean her face. Her head was pounding so she opened the medicine cabinet and popped open the bottle of Aleve. She _hated_ hangovers.

"You may be whining now, but you sure seemed to enjoy yourself at the party last night" Santana said dryly, still perched on the edge of the bath tub.

"That would be a great deal more comforting if I could actually remember it" Rachel sighed, drying her hands off on the hand towel by the sink.

"Wait, so you really don't remember anything about the party" Santana asked, a smirk pulling up the corners of her mouth hidden from Rachel's view. "Oh this is too good."

"What?"

"Nothing. Tell me what you _do_ remember about last night."

"Not much. It's all a big blur after we left the apartment. I don't know what you put in that fruity cocktail last night, but _never again_" she warned, pursing her lips before stepping out of the bathroom. "You're not allowed to be in charge of drinks _anymore_."

"Well, you're being awfully rude to the person who can tell you all about your date last night" Santana mused, shaking her head dramatically.

Rachel paused immediately, turning to face her with wide eyes. "My date? I got a date?"

"You sure did" Santana smiled sweetly, sauntering past Rachel to sit down on the couch. She followed right behind her, sitting down and drawing her knees up to face Santana.

"Was he cute? Did he seem like my type? How old was he? Was he much taller than me? How did we meet? Did we kiss" she asked, firing the questions rapidly as they came to her.

"I guess you could say he was your type" she mused, touching her index finger to her chin. "He _definitely_ looked smart, and he was grossly into you. No you didn't kiss, at least not that I saw thank God."

Rachel ignored Santana's slight shiver, taking it in stride; she made fun of her past relationships the same way. She suddenly realized that Santana had yet to brag on her own date, and Rachel wondered if she had backed out or not.

"How about you San, did you find a suitable date for yourself" Rachel asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I did actually. I roped myself a cowboy" she announced. "We're going out Friday night." Having been friends for so long, Rachel detected the negative undercurrent to her friends tone.

"San-"

"Don't start with the lecture Berry, they're old and tiring. Not to mention usually wildly unhelpful" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "I have a date, with a nice _guy, _and he's actually not hideous. I intend to make the most out of it_" _she added with a small smile that Rachel couldn't quite place._  
_

Finally Rachel sighed, letting the issue go for the time being. It was bound to go one of two ways, and whichever path Santana chose she would support her.

_"_Fine" she said, plucking the remote control up from between the two of them and switching on the television set. She searched through the channels and stopped when she found the rerun of _My Crazy Obsession _she had missed last week. Santana, on cue, groaned from beside her.

"Can we please watch something that's actually entertaining, and _sane" _she grumbled. "This freak show makes me want to gauge my eyeballs out with a fork."

"This is plenty entertaining Santana, you just refuse to give it a chance" Rachel chided, shifting the remote control over to the coffee table on her side so that the Latina couldn't snatch it. "You're the one who allowed me to drink so much alcohol resulting in this hangover, so you get to suffer the consequences of it with me. I would like to lounge around and watch my favorite show, in peace" she added before Santana could interrupt, "with my best friend who I'm _sure_ will take care of me after assisting me in such bad decisions" she cooed, stretching herself out on the plush couch and nestling her head onto Santana's lap. "You can start pampering me now."

Rachel grinned at the sound of Santana's surrendering sigh, and focused her attention on the television set. She purred when Santana started to play with her hair, even though it was probably just in an attempt to distract herself from the woman on the television dressed as a life sized Barbie doll. The Aleve which was starting to do its job, and her friends massaging fingers on her scalp were a perfect combination. She smiled at the turn her day had taken and looked down at her cell phone lying beside her thigh. If Santana was right about this date (she thrilled at the word), she couldn't wait for him to call.

* * *

She was going to kill Santana.

Rachel had never been a shallow person. Having her own self conscious issues, largely due to her own Jewish nose, she was always conscientious about not judging others for their appearances. So, she didn't hold Jacob Ben Israel's own nose and wildly puffed hair against him, nor the too small spectacles that adorned his face. She was even willing to overlook the nasally tone to his voice that made her head ache. It wasn't really all of those things that worked against him though, he was just so...weird. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't bring herself to like him. How had she possibly been attracted to him at that party? She could only come up with one answer and that was a fruity, delicious drink that she'd had one too many of.

She was never drinking alcohol again.

Being that it was a blind date at least on her part, Rachel had decided to meet him that Friday night rather than have him come to her apartment and pick her up. When she walked into the cozy little bistro she only balked slightly at the short, overeager man who hopped up from his seat and beckoned her to him. But when he crooned _how _you_ doin_, just before 'accidentally' pinching her behind, she was really contemplating booking it. Instead, being the kind and considerate soul that she was cursed to be, she decided to stick it out.

After immersing herself in the menu to avoid her companions invasive gawking and placing their orders, Rachel finally had nowhere to hide. For a split second, she considered going back on her vow and ordering another alcoholic beverage just to aid her on this evening since it worked so well the first time, but deciding that would be the easy way out, she shook away the thought. Peeking up to his toothy grin, she took a deep breath, instead relying on her neglected acting abilities to get her through this night.

"So, Jacob. What do you do?"

"I run a popular online blog" he answered quickly, resting his elbows on the tabletop and leaning towards her.

"A blog" she repeated, straightening up slightly in her seat. She was no stranger to the Broadway blogs, pouring through them regularly herself to see what the upcoming works were, and who was being talked about. It was a dream of hers to be featured on one of them, and she couldn't help the tendril of hope that sprung up within her that maybe just _maybe_ this man could be a link to that. "Any affiliation with the theater, or Broadway" she asked lightly, feigning indifference.

"Heck no. Broadway is a waste of time playground for losers who can't make it to the big time in L.A." he recited, almost like a direct quote from said blog.

Rachel bit down hard on the inside of her jaw, her dislike for the man across from her growing exponentially. She offered him a tight smile and nod in response, mentally kicking herself for not ordering the most expensive item on the menu to make him pay for. Well, there was still dessert.

"What about you? What do you do my beautiful Jewish princess" he asked, letting his sleazy eyes run over her while his foot felt around for hers beneath the table.

She tucked her legs underneath her, crossing them at the ankles. Deciding to avoid the awkward moment for the both of them, she omitted the fact that she was one of the _losers_ struggling to make it onto the Broadway stage, and instead simply said "I give voice lessons. I'm a singer."

"Singers have good pipes" he said thoughtfully, a horrid smirk sliding onto his freckled face. "I'd _love_ to hear what kind of notes you can hit."

She wasn't sure if he meant it in the perverted way that she assumed, or if she was just being biased against the sleazy man, but either way she grimaced and reached up to massage her temples.

After what seemed like far too much forced conversation, and many dull, often perverted stories about the different pieces he worked on, the waitress finally approached their table with the check. Rachel all but bounced up from her seat when the friendly, elderly blonde woman returned with his credit card.

"Well, thank you for dinner. It was nice meeting you Jacob, again I mean." Rachel beamed, far too excited at the prospect of finally getting away to feel bad about her slip up. Unfortunately, before she could collect her things and rush outside to hop in the first taxi she could find, her traitor conscious noticed the crestfallen expression on Jacob's face.

"You had a terrible time" he frowned, standing and tucking his Star Wars wallet back into his back pocket. "I have no chance at all of scoring a second date with you, do I?"

Rachel paused at the conflicted look on his face. Following him out the door of the bistro and onto the sidewalk, she decided that the truth, a kind version, was the best approach. "I'm sorry Jacob. You seem like a..._nice_ guy, but I just don't see this working out."

She was surprised by the sudden look of determination on the man's face, but it was soon replaced with another, oddly hopeful frown. "It's okay Rachel. I should have known better than to think a total babe like you would really be into me. My roommate couldn't believe it when I told him I was going out with the hottest girl from that party." Rachel's ego was stroked at his compliment, and her gaze softened further as she watched him. "He thinks I made the whole thing up."

"Well that's obviously not true" Rachel said softly, smiling at the poor man standing beside her.

"I know that, but no one else is going to believe it" he sighed sadly, looking away from her. "_Unless..._You could come have a drink with me, just one little drink" he added, noticing her cautious expression. "What would be the harm in that right? He could see that I really was on a date, and just how beautiful you are. It would mean so much to me" he continued, taking a step toward her. She was mentally kicking herself for her sympathy (and easily coaxed ego), but he _was_ showing the first real human side that she had seen since they had started their date. She weighed her options in her mind, and decided that while Jacob was creepy he didn't actually seem like a psycho rapist, and even if he was, she had her rape whistle tucked into her pocket and having a personal trainer for a roommate and best friend had taught her a few things. "Us Jews have to stick together right" he offered, the comment sounding vaguely familiar to her.

With a tight smile, Rachel finally relented. "Okay Jacob, you're right. And you did buy me a lovely dinner so, o_ne_ drink" she told him, proud of her kind act when he grinned widely and started to wildly hail down a cab.

What could one drink hurt?

The cab ride was relatively quiet to Jacob's quaint apartment, located in a small complex a few blocks from her own. She quietly followed him up the walk to his floor, writing off his fidgeting as excitement about proving a point to his roommate. She was starting to become slightly nervous the closer they got, and by the time he started to unlock his door, she was worried that his roommate might find her just as unappealing as she found Jacob. The thought hadn't yet occurred to her after all of the compliments from Jacob. She was momentarily spared from discovering what the mystery roommate would think however, when she realized that there was no one in the living room.

She shot Jacob a questioning look, and hesitantly followed his direction to sit down on the recliner.

"Scooter must be in his room" Jacob told her, nodding towards the hallway before disappearing into the kitchen. "He knows usually if I bring a girl home, we're going to need our privacy" he crooned when he re-entered the room seconds later.

He handed her an unopened bottle of Corona, and she twisted the top off, bringing the forbidden bottle to her lips for a quick swig before looking back to Jacob expectantly. "So...were you going to go get him?"

"Right, yeah of course" Jacob said, laying his keys down on the table. "Just make yourself comfortable my pet."

She resisted the urge to cringe at the name, instead bringing the beer to her lips for another deep drink. She remained still in her seat while she waited for the boys, absently bringing her hand to rest over the rape whistle in her pocket. Rachel eyed the different figurines spread throughout the room, and the posters baring characters from the Big Bang Theory, Planet of the Apes, Batman and Ironman. Weren't those two from different worlds? She was struggling to remember the difference, and soon grew impatient with it all. Annoyed, she turned toward the hallway Jacob had gone down.

"Jacob, in case you've forgotten I'm still here, your _date_" she called. When she heard no reply, she became slightly worried. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard any noise at all. Curious, Rachel sat up from her seat and started to pad down the hallway. She pulled the whistle out of her pocket and gripped it in her fist, ready to use at any given moment.

"Jacob, are you alright?"

"In here Rachel!"

When she reached the partially open door his voice was coming from, she hesitantly pushed it open and gasped when she looked inside.

On the blue comforter of the full sized bed lay a smirking Jacob, butt naked and posed like a french model with one knee propped up and his head resting on his hand. The hand not propping his poofed head was languidly stroking the skin of his thigh, inching closer towards...

"Oh my God" Rachel breathed, frozen in shock and unable to tear her eyes from the burning image. There were some things you could never un-see. "Wha-"

"Guess Scooter's not home, but Daddy is" he crooned. On his words, he snapped his fingers and the Usher song started to play from an unseen stereo system in the room.

It was then that Rachel realized she had been duped, played for a fool. He never had any intentions of introducing her to his roommate; this was merely a manipulative and horrendous attempt to get into her pants! With a self righteous growl she moved towards the sleazeball she'd pitied, ignoring his nonsensical mutterings of '_that Fireman is a genius_'. When she reached his side, she brought the whistle to her lips and blew, right in his face.

"How dare you, you pathetic, perverted little man" she cried, and with that she turned on her heel and stormed out of his apartment.

* * *

Rachel couldn't help but feel slightly deflated as she walked into the serenity of her own apartment. She had kind of expected Santana to have been home before her, but the sticky note by the door reading 'Don't wait up' let her know that wasn't the case. Either the date was going really well, or went really bad and she was somewhere alone, using the solitude to make sense of it all; it was what she tended to do when she was stressed. Rachel frowned when she realized she needed some 'disaster date' therapy as well and started towards her yoga mat.

It had felt so good to feel wanted, to have a moment in the sun. For the first time in too long it felt like things were working out for Rachel, like she was winning, even if on a small scale. She was tired of all of the disappointment, all of the rejections in so many different forms. Grasping her pink mat her frown deepened when it suddenly hit her that she shouldn't be wasting time pitying for herself over a mediocre date, but rather online searching for another audition and making productive strides in her career. Nodding determinedly to herself, she pushed the mat back into it's place, but paused when a flash of green caught her eye.

Rachel bent down, sliding the mat aside and picked up the source; a thin green iPod. Her brows scrunched together as she studied it, running a finger over the slight scratch marring the top corner. She knew that Santana didn't have an iPod, she said that's what Pandora was for. How could this have gotten here? She glanced around for anything else that might be out of place, but didn't see anything. Her curiosity had already burned her once that night, but she couldn't resist herself as she flipped the small green device over. Rachel squinted slightly to read the inscription on the back "_To follow that Star_".

The phrase struck her personally as stars had been her thing from a very young age. There were literally gold stars all over her bedroom, and decorating the mirror in the bathroom as well as her cell phone. They were a metaphor for the fact that she was a star; an often neglected star, but nonetheless a star. She absently traced the golden star tattoo on her wrist as she wondered why that sounded so familiar to her. After a quick Google search it finally struck, those were lyrics to '_The Impossible Dream_' an iconic song from _Man of La Mancha_, the show she had last auditioned for.

In some twist of fate from the Universe, her cell phone started to ring suddenly, shocking her. Rachel jumped slightly, but picked up her ringing phone. She didn't recognize the number, but quickly slid to answer and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Rachel Berry?"

"Yes this is she" Rachel answered, struggling to place that voice as she clutched the green iPod tightly in her hand.

"Hi, this is Shelby Corchoran from the Limelight Theater. I'm sorry to call so late in the evening."

"No, it's no trouble at all Ms. Corchoran. How can I help you" Rachel squeaked, crossing her fingers and praying to God that this was the call she was hoping for.

"I'm calling in regard to your audition two weeks ago Ms. Berry. We were very impressed with your materials, and if you're still interested, we would like for you to come back in this Thursday, same place and time."

"I, of course, yes that sounds great. Thank you so much" Rachel stuttered, hoping that the sound of her hopping up and down on the other end of the phone wasn't carrying through the line.

"Glad to hear it. Please prepare a song to perform for us, and we will e-mail you a small portion of the script to memorize for a reading."

Rachel jotted down all that was expected of her, said her goodbyes, and thanked the woman yet again before ending the call and committing all of her energy to properly hopping up and down, shaking her fists in the air in victory. She couldn't see her face, but she would be willing to bed that the corners of her mouth were touching her ears as she plopped down onto the couch.

"I'm going to be a star" she declared, fondly running a finger over the face of her new, shiny green good luck charm.

_**A/N: Hmm, wherever did this magical, lucky green iPod come from you wonder? Stay Tuned! Don't** **forget to check out 'Until I Found Her' by firewifesara, my mistress. The link is in my bio! As always thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated! **_


	4. Her Gain

_**Thank you guys so much for your support and feedback on these stories! We really hope that you're enjoying our unique concept and that you will continue to be patient and trust us on this journey! Also, it seems that hardly anyone does read these notes. Nipples. That is a bit saddening, nipples. But we still love you all and are thankful for you anyway. Nipples. Don't forget to check in with Finn over in 'Until I Found Her' by my mistress Firewifesara! Nipples. The link is in my bio!**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not own Glee, HIMYM, Man of La Mancha, any of the characters used or their nipples. Tessa and Frank are our property though; we owns them nipples.**_

* * *

Rachel closed her eyes and took deep breaths to calm herself, balancing her sheet music and the thin green iPod on her knees. Some part of her brain was trying to remind her that she wouldn't even be sitting here if she didn't have what it took, but the part of her mind that tended to freak out under pressure was silencing it. She only wished her ears could silence the sound of the other few people scattered in the room, running through their lines and even vocal runs 'quietly' to themselves.

"Do you need a bag over there?"

Rachel's eyes snapped open at the soft, foreign voice; the first one to actually speak to her. It was odd considering how cut throat the people at auditions usually were, but not unwelcome. The couch she was occupying dipped down under the weight of the thin, attractive dark haired man settling himself next to her. Not too close as to scare her, but just enough to be comforting. He offered her a kind smile as she studied him.

"I don't think I'll hyperventilate just yet. Ask me after this callback" she replied easily, returning his friendly smile. "Rachel" she told him, extending a hand for him to shake. "Hopefully soon you can call me Antonia."

"Jesse" he responded, releasing her hand to take the script out of his shirt pocket. "I'm hoping to be the Barber, slash Prisoner, slash Muleteer" he read directly from the papers with just the faintest trace of negativity.

"You seem awfully excited about that" Rachel grinned. She couldn't deny that she was happy with the distraction this Jesse was providing her. She had done enough stressing out over this audition in the last week for everyone in the show combined, and really had no one who understood. From the looks of Jesse, he certainly did.

"I actually am. I just don't want to get my hopes up. You audition for part after part to no avail, and soon enough you tend to go in with your head held low to begin with" he sighed, rolling the papers back up and tucking them into his pocket.

"I know exactly what you mean" Rachel nodded, turning to better look at the curly haired man. He really was quite attractive, and muscular to be so thin. It was a definite plus that he was interested in her field of work as well. "You start to wonder what's the point? Sometimes I think about changing my course to strictly try out for chorus or walk on roles" Rachel chuckled with no humor.

"Right" the man agreed, shaking his head. "I was once the wine-o in an off off Broadway production of _Little Shop of Horrors_. I had no lines and only got to sing background in one number, and to this day it's the highlight of my career. It's the top of my star-studded resume." The two shared an easy laugh at that. "It paid the rent."

Rachel found that it was very comfortable to talk with Jesse. It had been a while since she had really met a guy (aside from Jacob, who she refused to count) and usually when she did, she was timid and reserved; well unless there was alcohol involved. Laughing with Jesse, conversing like friends, she felt at ease. She smiled at him, thankful for his presence at such a dry time in her life. First the iPod, now a super cute guy...what did she do to deserve this?

"They say that's what matters, paying the rent, right? I don't think so though" she said wistfully, looking off towards the door of the room that would make or break her. "No matter how many times I get turned away for appearing too young, old, looking too ethnic, or just outright because of my nose, I keep coming back. It's my dream, I want to be on the stage whether that means I barely have pennies to rub together and have to live on crackers and water or not."

"That's what you call ambition my dear, nice to know I'm not the only one holding onto it. Too many people are in this business for the wrong reasons." She smiled up at the man nodding along with her, growing more fond of him by the moment. "And if it matters, I think your nose is charming. It makes you unique, exotic even" he added, studying her face without the slightest trace of judgment crossing his features. Surprisingly she didn't feel the least bit embarrassed at his scrutiny; she was kind of flattered.

"Thank you Jesse, it does matter."

She stared up at the kind eyes of the man who just might be her new favorite person in the world, her attention only being stolen by the voice of Shelby at the door calling for her. Rachel rose from her seat on suddenly shaky legs, her anxiety returning quickly. She straightened her skirt and smoothed down her hair before turning her lips up into a nervous smile. Her new friend wished her good luck, shooting her a thumbs up, and she disappeared behind Shelby placing a hand over where the iPod rested against her hip for good measure.

Journey was one of her all time favorite bands, so much so that she had a huge poster of theirs up in their living room despite the fact that Santana annually tried to get her to replace it with something more modern. Even so, she had never considered the song '_Don't Stop Believing_' an audition worthy piece before hearing it in a new light on the lucky iPod. As she hoped, she was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. After her stellar rendition of the classic tune, and a near flawless reading of the scene that Shelby had provided, she was ecstatic when Shelby handed her the official script, informing her that they would see her at the first rehearsal.

She had tried to hold it together when she thanked the directors as well as when she exited the room, knowing that it would be unprofessional to rub her success in the faces of the others waiting. She had nearly forgotten about Jesse in all of the excitement, but smiled genuinely when she passed him again.

"How did it go...Antonia" he said it as a statement, not a question.

"How did you know" Rachel whispered, stepping closer to him as to not be heard by the others.

"You have a glow about you. You're either suddenly pregnant, or you got the part" he smiled, letting her know there was no real venom in his words. Sleeping with the people in charge wasn't at all uncommon in the world of the arts, she would by no means ever stoop that low. "Congratulations."

"Well thank you, I think" she chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ears as she stared at the man. He had really nice eyes, she hadn't noticed that before. She was thankful that his name, Jesse _St. James _was called then, preventing her from stupidly blurting out the observation. "Good luck Jesse, or should I say Barber, slash Prisoner, slash Muleteer" she recited from memory, grinning at his hopeful expression. "I hope to see you soon."

Jesse nodded back to her, pulled out his papers once again, and she watched him disappear into the room. He truly did seem like a genuinely nice guy from what she had seen, and mentally running through their encounter she wondered if it was considered flirting or not. Regardless, he was a lot like her, struggling to make it in a business he loved that chewed people up and spit them out on the regular, all the while keeping a healthy, upbeat attitude. She was tempted to stick around just to see how things went for him, but decided against it and soon exited the building.

Instead she pulled out the lucky green iPod, plugged in her head phones and starting up the already made playlist. The thought crossed her mind that maybe she should try to find the owner, but after all the luck it had brought her so far, especially today, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Santana had no idea where it could have come from unless it was somehow left behind by the man she'd been out with that night, and even if it was she had already gotten rid of his contact information preventing her from asking. Deciding that it had just magically appeared as a gift from the theater Gods for all of her hard work, she pushed it to the back of her mind and decided to appreciate it rather than question. In an attempt to use the power for good, Rachel gripped the green iPod and sent up a silent wish for her new friend Jesse St. James.

* * *

"_Jump his bones_."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the predictable words from her best friend as she walked down the busy New York street. "Why is that always your go-to advice for me? I see a cute guy on the subway? Jump his bones. "Nice waiter doesn't charge me for my drink? Jump his bones. Kind guy walking his dog by me? Jump-"

"_Well maybe if you actually got up the nerve and did it already, you wouldn't have to hear it so much_" she replied coolly.

Rachel shook her head, crossing the street when the light allowed with the rest of the crowd. "We both know I'm not that type of girl Santana. Besides, I don't even know if he likes me in that way."

She had been delighted to find that Jesse had gotten the part he auditioned for that day. Her nerves at her first rehearsal dissipated marginally when she saw his friendly face, and they both gravitated toward each other. They were only a few weeks into rehearsals, but Jesse was proving to be a good friend; always supportive and offering words of praise and encouragement. Their social interactions were of course slightly limited by the intense and often times broken up rehearsals, but the time they did get to share was always enjoyable.

"He's kind and genuine, very cute, and he always goes out of his way to talk to me" she thought aloud, navigating her way down the street. "But then, maybe he's just a really friendly guy. I am quite pleasant to be around once you get to know me."

"_Yeah. I thought the cowboy was just a 'really friendly, nice guy' too until he stripped down naked in our living room and pretended to be Superman. I gotta give him props for confidence, although I'm not sure he deserves it. He'd had a few too many beers, he did have a descent physique for a man-giant, and boy was he packing a bi_-"

"I don't need to hear the gory details Santana" Rachel squeaked, closing her eyes quickly. She was still annoyed that she couldn't erase her own 'naked man' disaster image from her brain, she didn't need to be burdened with another one. "I can't believe the naked man is a real thing, it's ridiculous."

"_Just goes to show you never know what a guys really thinking. All the more reason you should test the waters with this St. James kid. You never know until you try_."

Rachel considered her words as she stepped into the Starbucks, pulling out her wallet and getting into line. She wasn't called into rehearsal this morning, but being an early riser she had gotten up and decided to make the most of her day. She still wasn't quite sure what to do yet, and the more she turned Santana's words over in her mind, the more she thought about making a stop by the rehearsal building. Jesse _was _scheduled to be there this morning. The line was steadily growing behind her, and the people in front of her seemed to be being served quickly. She had a decision to make, quick.

"_Hey, maybe you can strip for him at the next rehearsal, see if you have better results than the naked cowboy and Jewfro_." Rachel rolled her eyes at her friend, but decided that for once she would woman up and take her advice. Well, all but the jumping of bones and stripping naked part.

"Hi welcome to Starbucks! What can I get for you?" the pretty red haired girl asked.

"Hold on San" she whispered into the phone before turning a determined smile to the cashier. "Hi, yes I'd like a grande chai tea soy latte. One pump mocha, one pump vanilla, _no_ milk and no foam. Actually make that two" she told her, thrilled, and a little terrified of the chancy liberty she was taking.

She gave the cashier the money for her order and waited patiently, running through her plan with Santana while she waited. When her order was called she approached the desk again, frowning when she looked down into the first cup.

"Excuse me, this is not what I ordered" she announced, leaning over the counter to speak to the woman.

"I'm sorry?"

"I specifically asked for no milk in my drinks. I can't have it, I'll break out into hives if I drink this."

Maybe she was exaggerating a tad, but the last time she had accidentally eaten something non-vegan due to the lack of attention from a server, she had immediately gotten sick. She certainly didn't need that if she was about to ask a guy out, especially not considering that she knew he was Vegan too. Who knew what effect it would have on him? This simply wouldn't do.

"Our mistake. We'll get this fixed right away for you ma'am."

Rachel nodded politely to the woman, thankful that she was kind and chose not to make a scene. It was only minutes before she received two new beverages, and was happy to see that they had been served correctly the second time. She thanked the woman and hurried out of the coffee shop, anxious to reach Jesse before his call time.

Thankfully the rehearsal space wasn't too far. She had to speed walk, and as a result some of their drinks spilled over the edge of the lids, but she managed to contain the most of it and approached the building with time to spare. She became extremely nervous when she saw Jesse walking up, his hands thankfully empty. That would have been super awkward otherwise.

"Good morning" she smiled, waving to him with one of her coffee-laden hands.

"Hey Rachel, what are you doing here? I didn't think you were called in today" he asked, eying the two drinks in her hands with an amused smile.

"I'm not. I was just, actually in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by. I know you enjoy a good refreshing beverage in the morning just as much as I do, so I figured-" she trailed off, offering the second cup to him timidly. To her immense relief he accepted it and brought it to his lips easily.

"Wow, thank you Rachel, that was really sweet of you. _Mmm_" he said appreciatively, smacking his lips slightly. "You got it just the way I like-"

"One pump mocha, one pump vanilla, no milk or foam" they said in unison, sharing a laugh.

"I guess we have a lot in common" she said, hoping that he didn't notice the blush sprouting on her cheeks. "Speaking of which, I was thinking maybe if you wanted, we could, um, go get coffee or something _together_ sometime" she said quietly, cursing her timid nature and silently preparing for the rejection. She was almost welcoming it just so that she could escape the torture of waiting for his answer and escape this whole awkward situation. Instead of giving into her typical self conscious nature however, she summoned all of her strength to push forward. "Or maybe even see a movie. _'Fever Pitch'_ comes out this weekend and I've heard it's supposed to be extremely well done but it's not the kind of thing my best friend Santana would willingly go see. I'm sure you and I could both enjoy it immensely on a completely platonic or otherwise level, if you wanted" she continued quickly, unsure how to take his steady silence. "Its just a suggestion, seeing as we have so much in common and haven't actually had the chance to get to know one another outside of these walls" she rambled, pointing towards the building behind him and feeling her cheeks burn increasingly more with each word. "But you know, -"

"Rachel calm down, breathe" he chuckled, reaching out to place steadying hands on the tops of her shoulders. "That sounds like a great idea."

"Really?"

"Sure, it'll be fun" he smiled, releasing her and tapping the tip of her nose. "I've heard good things about '_Fever Pitch_' too, but I've actually _really_ been looking forward to seeing '_I Don't Wanna Know_'. Have you heard of it?"

Rachel nodded her head enthusiastically in spite of the fact that she had never actually heard that title before. She was just excited about the prospect of another real date, and with a guy she actually liked.

"Great! Do you have plans for Saturday night" he asked, taking another sip of his drink. "I don't think we have a scheduled rehearsal."

Rachel followed his lead, sipping from her own forgotten drink as well. "No, we don't, and I'm free. Saturday night is perfect."

"Cool. See you then Antonia" he called, briefly kissing her cheek before turning to disappear into the building.

_**Thank you so much for reading, I hope you aren't too mad about the way this chapter has unfolded! *Trust and Patience are key here!* ****Want to know what was going on with Finn? Head on over to 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! Reviews as always are encouraged! They make us feel and warm and fuzzy inside unless they're mean.**_


	5. Her Entertainment

_**So, apparently you do actually read these notes! We are so amazed and excited that you guys caught the HIMYM reference in our slight doubt, you are all awesome but you already knew that. Now that we know we have your attention we would like to remind you that this story is a journey of sorts. We realize that the concept is indeed very different in that it is essentially two separate stories that (as of yet) have not allowed our main characters to interact, but don't worry, they will they both need to be ready first. Finding true love is a journey, and we wanted to keep that truth and mold it to make it central to this story. So please, trust us, and enjoy the ride! To those who have watched HIMYM and are worried; don't be. (Spoiler Alert) Finchel is Endgame and will live happily ever after. That being said, you should all very much enjoy this particular chapter, it was a lot of fun! Don't forget to go see what Finn was up to in 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara (there is a link in my bio).**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, HIMYM, Man of La Mancha, or any of the characters and music involved, nor do we own any of the movie titles included in this chapter. Frank and Tessa we do own however.**_

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Rachel rushed out of her room at the sound of knocking at the apartment door. She smoothed her hair and did a quick breath check on her way toward it before abruptly being blocked by Santana's slender yet extremely solid form.

"I know you didn't think you were getting out of here without me getting to scope out St. James" she said, arching an eyebrow at Rachel. "You're track record for picking guys is about as horrible as your choice in clothing; I need to at least okay him unlike I did that ridiculous dress" she told Rachel, eying her blue and white dress with distaste.

Rachel muffled her groan as Santana swung the door open, revealing a perfectly coiffed Jesse, smiling kindly in the doorway.

"_Huh_" came Santana's elegant greeting. Rachel was unsure whether it was an approving or disapproving sound, but could only hope for the best as Jesse extended a hand toward Santana.

"Hi, Santana I presume" he said, shaking the girls hand. "It's nice to finally put a face with the name. I'm Jesse, Rachel's friend." Santana stepped back, studying the man fully as he walked into the apartment. Rachel was sure she didn't like the amused way Santana was now staring at him, trailing her eyes up his designer boots and skinny jeans and decorative scarf before settling on his face finally with a wicked smirk.

"So this is the famous Jesse Berry's been yapping about the last few weeks" Santana mused. "I just _love_ your boots, where did you get them?"

"Thank you! I've actually just recently gotten up the nerve to start shopping online. It's risky to put your credit card number online these days, but a very close friend of mine assured me that the websites directly linked to the vendor were trustworthy. I got these babies for a huge discount on Armani's website. It still cost me two weeks pay, but they were worth it" he told her, twisting his foot around to show off the black boot.

"Those are really lovely" Rachel finally piped in, smiling widely at her date and the fact that he seemed to be none the wiser to Santana's strange attempt at small talk.

"Thank you Rachel, and might I say you look stunning tonight" he whistled, tipping her chin up playfully before taking a peek at his watch. "Do you mind if I use you ladies' restroom before we head out for the movie? I'd hate to have to get up in the middle to rush to the little boys room" he explained with an easy smile. Rachel directed him down the hall to the bathroom before turning to meet the conflicted expression on Santana's face.

"Okay, I knew you could be dense, but you can't tell me that you're serious about this."

"What is that supposed to mean Santana" Rachel whisper yelled, planting her hands on her hips.

"It _means_ that your date is capital G gay Rachel."

"What" she sputtered, shaking her head quickly. "Jesse is _not_ gay Santana I would know, I work with him for crying out loud" she defended, her brow furrowing in spite of her sure words.

"You poor poor woman you. You want a relationship so bad you're willing to be a hag" Santana said, tsking her lips slightly at the end.

"I'm doing no such thing! You're being very judgmental of him for simply having a keen fashion sense. I would think you of all people would be more open-minded about the matter."

"That's kind of the point Rachel. I'm a closet lesbian _and_ a judgmental bitch which means I have _awesome_ gaydar, so I'm telling you straight; Jesse St. James is St. Gay." Rachel simply rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Fine, you know what, suit yourself" the Latina said, holding up her hands in surrender. "Lurch had to suffer through it, you can too."

"Lurch?"

"The giant naked cowboy."

"_Where_" Jesse's teasing (she hoped) voice came startling Rachel as he walked towards them. She refused to meet Santana's smirk, instead looping her arm through Jesse's and offering him a sweet smile.

"We should get going, we don't want to be late for the movie" she told him, opening the door and quickly ushering him out before Santana had time to do any damage. Before she made it two steps she heard Santana's voice calling behind her.

"You two crazy kids have fun!"

* * *

Santana's words haunted Rachel all the way to the theater. She tried to keep her inner turmoil from showing on her face, keeping up light conversation with Jesse while her mind whirred. Was he really gay, and she was just missing it? Was she blinded by her loneliness so that she could let such a detail about a person slip by her simply because she liked the way she felt around him? Or maybe he really was a straight, slightly feminine guy. It wasn't all that uncommon, especially in the theater.

Before long they finally made it to the theater and being the gentleman that he was, Jesse approached the teller and paid for both of their tickets without hesitation. She started to wonder as she watched him if this really was considered a real date or not. It seemed like it, his manners were impeccable and he had both picked her up and paid for her movie ticket. However, she had mentioned when she asked him about a movie in the first place that it could be purely platonic, and come to think of it, when he introduced himself to Santana he had referred to himself as her _friend_, not her date. Her confusion about the situation was only growing by the minute.

Rachel got Jesse to buy her a pack of gummy bears from concessions, then he led them into the theater. She took her seat beside him, noting the sparsely occupied space.

"For this movie to have been so highly recommended, it doesn't have a very large turnout."

"I don't actually know much the ratings to be honest. I just make it a point to see anything with Neil Patrick Harris in it, he is a God" he whispered as the lights in the theater dimmed all the way.

Rachel smiled tightly at his words. That could mean anything, right? She herself referred to Barbara Streisand as a Goddess regularly, and had even said after watching the second Transformers movie that she could marry Megan Fox and have her children. It was just an expression, maybe. She chose not to read too much into it as his attention was now completely focused on the screen.

After a few unsatisfying previews, the movie finally started and as expected, Neil Patrick Harris graced the screen. She really hoped she imagined the squeal from beside her.

The beginning of the movie just didn't catch her interest at all. The filming was mediocre, and even some of the actors weren't up to par. She scowled when she realized that she, a struggling actress who had just gotten her first job in ages, could do a better job than what the leading lady of this piece of crap movie was doing.

From what she had picked up from the strange plot, Neil and the lousy female met through an online dating service, and proceeded to start a serious relationship without realizing that they were actually brother and sister. The irony wasn't lost on her considering she was on a date, or at least she thought it was a date, with someone who was possibly unattainable in that he may or may not be gay.

She really did try to become invested in the twisted movie, but it just wasn't working. She soon realized she was tuning the movie out altogether, instead focusing on the proximity of Jesse's hand to hers. Was it weird that he really hadn't touched her at all? Maybe he was waiting on her to make the move, he was a gentleman after all. Deciding to take the chance she leaned toward him in her seat, taking his extremely soft hand in her own. To her relief he briefly turned his head to smile at her, giving her palm a squeeze before resting their joined hands on his knee.

Much better.

Rachel relaxed beside him, attempting to turn her attention back to the film, when it was suddenly grabbed by the sudden launch of what seemed to be a piece of popcorn. Her eyes searched through the darkness to find the source until they landed on a man a few rows up to her right. She could only see his back profile, but it was obvious that his focus was not on the movie screen either. She watched as he tossed the popcorn toward an unseen spot then repeated the action several times. She almost giggled when the woman beside him pulled herself from the man on her other side to swat at the littering man. He shrunk under her blow, and disappointingly settled back to watch the movie, effectively ending her momentary but entertaining distraction.

She kind of wished she hadn't eaten all of her gummy bears right away, maybe she could have come up with something to do with them to keep her mind entertained as this movie was just not doing the job.

Thankfully mere minutes later, the man started up his incessant tossing of popcorn kernels again. She watched as he peeked over at the woman to his side like a small child, before launching a piece in another direction. He kept up his pattern and soon she was startled to hear a cry of '_Yes_' from his direction. None of the other movie patrons found it quite as amusing as she did though. From beside her Jesse sent a hissed '_Shhh_' towards the man, re-capturing her attention.

Looking up at his face, realizing how truly engrossed in the movie he was, she felt slightly guilty. Deciding that she was being selfish and childish, though not as childish as the goofy man tossing popcorn; she decided to give her full attention to her date, if that's what it was. He would more than likely want to discuss it once it was over, and she couldn't very well do that if she hadn't paid attention. With a barely audible sigh she leaned her head against Jesse's shoulder, focusing on the sickening brother and sister together onscreen.

Rachel refused to look away from the screen; enduring hideous kisses between the lovers, and trying not to notice the slight tensing of Jesse's body beside her when Neil Patrick Harris started to undress. She could have sworn she heard him utter the word 'Yummy' but she chose to ignore it. Her attention couldn't help but be stolen again however when the light of a burly security guard's flashlight going down the aisles.

She shook her with a smile when he approached the juvenile man she had been noticing before. Of course. She contained her chuckle, subtly and unsuccessfully trying to glimpse of the man when the man hopped up from his seat and hurried out of the theater with the guard, probably thankful to be free of the dreadful film. She envied him a little, but regretted her poor manners again instantly and for a final time turned her sole focus on '_I Don't Wanna Know'._

The smile that graced Rachel's face when the final credits came up was genuine. She couldn't believe she had actually endured that whole film, but was even more flabbergasted to find Jesse dabbing at his eyes slightly. She chuckled at his antics, noting that they were very comparable to her own when she got wrapped up in things that most people didn't understand.

"Wasn't that just, the best" he asked, releasing her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder. "Neil is a genius, a genius I tell you" he gushed, keeping his hold on her as they exited the building. "He's what I aspire towards, I wanna be just like him."

"Really, _just_ like him" Rachel repeated, releasing a shaky laugh, Neil Patrick Harris had come out of the closet some time ago. She couldn't help but wonder if Jesse had just kind of revealed his sexuality to her, or if she was reading too much into things. The distractingly funny man paired with the outrageous movie had managed to ease her mind of her earlier anxiety, but it was coming back quickly.

"Well yeah, he's amazing" he chuckled, ruffling her hair slightly. She sighed at both his words and the act, unsure at all how take it.

The fact of the matter was she really liked Jesse and they got along swimmingly, but this date hadn't been at all what she was hoping for. Awkward and confusing would be a better word. Whether it was due to the lack of romantic chemistry, the mental dilemma Santana's words had caused, or truly a different sexual preference on his part, she just wasn't sure. There was only one way to find out.

The ride to her apartment went by with much more ease than the rest of the night had. They discussed the movie, or what she had retained from it, their work schedules, discovered that they were both obsessed with 'Cakes and Pastries' down the way from Rachel's apartment, and even discussed the latest novel Jesse had been reading. This was what she liked, their relationship like this, not the estranged and awkward way she felt earlier. She decided it was now or never when Jesse helped her out of the car and started to walk her up to her apartment.

"So I had a really nice time tonight" she started, turning to him expectantly.

"So did I, you were lovely company Ms. Berry" he agreed, nudging her side playfully. She couldn't contain her girly giggle when he smiled at her.

"Maybe we could do it again soon" she suggested, taking a subtle step closer to him. He didn't move back, she took that as a good sign.

"That sounds great. I'll even let you pick the movie next time" he smiled genuinely.

With his promising words and encouraging smile Rachel decided to go for it. The naked man, or well woman, was way out of her league, but a simple kiss wasn't. She leaned toward Jesse, closing her eyes and puckering her lips. Her hopeful kiss only met air though as she was paused by his gently questioning voice.

"Rachel...what are you doing?"

She blinked when she opened her eyes, looking up to see him leaned slightly away from her. He didn't look pitying, or disgusted, just confused. She would have thought she would be mortified by his rejection, but instead she felt oddly calm.

"I've been reading this all wrong" she sighed, wiping a hand over her face as she finally let the truth wash over her. "You're gay."

"Is is that big of a surprise" he asked, raising his perfectly arched eyebrow at her.

"No I suppose not."

"Wait, when you asked me about hanging out, you really meant..." he started softly, putting the pieces together. "You thought this was a _date_ date."

"Deep down I think I knew better, I just didn't want to I suppose" she told him, cursing Santana in her mind. "Oh no...I'm a hag, aren't I" she moaned. Seconds later she felt Jesse's arms wrapping around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh sweetie, of course you aren't" he told her, his rumbling chuckle shaking her comfortingly. "You're a lovely, beautiful girl just looking for romance. I'm much the same way, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't encountered some very awkward and confusing situations of my own" he sighed wistfully. "I am truly sorry if I led you on Rachel, I didn't mean to-"

"No no, you don't have to feel sorry for any of this" she said, waving her hands dismissively. "It's my own fault, I was being blinded by the insane pursuit of love" she joked lightly, shrugging her shoulders.

He must have seen the longing in her joking statement because Jesse then grasped her face in his hands, tilting it up toward him. "You truly are something special Rachel Berry, I'll tell you that. I'm sorry I can't be that guy for you but he is out there somewhere, don't give up on the pursuit." Noting her doubtful expression, he added "Besides, can you honestly tell me that even if tonight would have gone as smoothly as you planned, that I'm the man of your dreams" he asked, arching a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"Kind of..." she grumbled.

He tilted his chin down, seeing right through her. "Really Rachel? I'm the one who makes your heart skip a beat, makes you smile for no reason and sends butterflies into your stomach, the one you can picture spending the rest of your life with and having little Berry babies?"

She hadn't really thought about any of those things with Jesse at all come to think of it. She liked him a great deal, he was a great guy and an amazing friend, but he was right.

"When did you get so wise" she sighed, sending him a soft smile.

"I'm offended that you're just noticing it" he chuckled. "He is out there somewhere Rachel, I promise. And he'll actually be able to keep you engaged on a _real_ date" he added, smirking at her when he pulled back.

"I don't know what you mean, I was plenty engaged" she blushed, looking away from his knowing smile.

"Sure you were. I wasn't too busy drooling over Neil to notice how uninterested you were. I'm surprised you didn't sneak out or fall asleep at some point. Or better yet do something to get yourself escorted out like that one very cute, very juvenile man."

"Cute? I don't know how you saw him" she laughed, slightly embarrassed at having been caught.

"Oh yeah, I rarely miss a good looking man, even if it takes a little squinting and twisting" he grinned. "He was no Blaine Anderson, but he was cute."

"Excuse me" Rachel said, immediately taken aback. "Blaine Anderson as in _Sancho Panza_ from our show" she asked, her eyebrows shooting into her forehead when Jesse started to blush.

"It's not a thing, I don't think he even really notices me outside of the show" he sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "No big deal, crushes come and go."

"Sometimes you shouldn't let time go" Rachel urged, encouraging the man that earlier in the day she had hoped to have a romantic relationship with to pursue someone else. Surprisingly, it felt good. "You never know until you give it a try, right? Sometimes it doesn't work out" she added, smiling timidly and waving her arms between the two of them as an example, "but you never know when it will."

"Thanks Rach. Ya know, I think this is the most you've talked all night."

"I know, I'm sorry. I guess it was the 'first date' jitters and then all of the confusion catching up to me. I was a terrible date" she finished, looking down dramatically at her feet.

Jesse chuckled heartily in response, nudging her in the side. "No you weren't...not totally. Though, I guess technically you did try to force yourself on me..." he trailed off, laughing loudly when she swatted at his arm. "You could make it up to me by bringing me my special tea again Tuesday."

"Hmm...sounds fair. Those are acceptable charges for almost face rape I suppose" she giggled.

"I know, you're getting off easy" he chuckled. "So another movie night soon, as _friends_" he clarified, extending a hand to her.

She grasped it, shaking it firmly in her own. "I like us better that way."

"Me too."

She said her goodbyes to Jesse, hugging him once more and accepting a sloppy kiss on the cheek before heading up to her apartment. True, she realized that her feelings for Jesse really were only platonic, and the humiliation wasn't at all what she had expected, but it was still a bit of a let down. She wasn't really even sure anymore why she was trying to date; Santana was right, she had no idea what she was doing. Jesse's encouraging words echoed in her mind, but she could focus on them and try to go from there tomorrow. For now, she needed some post-date therapy.

Rachel walked into her apartment quickly and went straight for the pink yoga mat in the corner. Santana, hearing her, walked into the room, pausing to watch Rachel as she didn't even bother to change first before getting down on it and starting to stretch.

"I told you so."

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_**So..Rachel certainly had an interesting night. I'm kind of going for a Lea/Jon Groff type of feel for this relationship, I hope that will carry over to you guys!** **You'll definitely want to know what Finn was up to in this chapter, so don't forget to read 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! Reviews are welcome!**_


	6. Her Plans

_**First off, thank you all for supporting these stories, and for your patience and your trust in us. You know how much we love Finchel and that we will do right by them in the absolute best way that we see fit, so it means very much to us that you're trusting us and sticking with this journey. We're getting close, so please enjoy the ride! I apologize that this chapter is a little on the shorter side, it's more of a filler but I hope that you enjoy anyway!**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, HIMYM, Man of La Mancha or any of the characters and Frank are still ours though, if Ryan Murphy ever reads these and wants them, he can hit us up.**_

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Thankfully, Rachel and Jesse's friendship hadn't suffered after the whole dating debacle. They just became closer, it seemed as though clearing the air the way they had opened the door for their relationship to become even more genuine. Jesse was quickly becoming her _second_ best friend, since Santana would never stand to be replaced. As a matter of fact, since Santana and Brittany had gotten back on speaking terms and hanging out occasionally, or whatever they were calling it, Jesse was Rachel's go to person to spend time with.

He meant so much to her, which is why she just couldn't stand idly by while he continued to crush on Blaine from afar. They were both cute, both talented, both really cool men who were interested in other men. It made perfect sense to her, especially considering that as far as she knew Blaine was currently unattached as well. One day after rehearsal, Rachel made up her mind and decided if Jesse wouldn't go for it, she would just have to make that step for him.

"Hi Blaine" she chirped, skipping over to him outside of the dressing rooms. He met her advance with a careful smile, obviously questioning her actions and she couldn't blame him. Blaine was a very nice, personable guy, she had spoken with him on multiple occasions and got a great vibe from him. He was also very pleasant to work with, a definite plus. She couldn't help but think of what a good match he might make with Jesse.

"Um hey Rachel, what's up?"

"You did a lovely job today, it's obvious that you're very committed to the character. You're making all of the right decisions" she praised, clapping her hands quietly for effect. "If everyone else pulls themselves up to the level that you're performing at, we'll have an extremely note-worthy show on our hands."

"Thanks" he said, a small question in his voice as she looked to him expectantly, waiting for him to compliment her as well. She may be on a mission for Jesse, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy praise herself when deserved. "Uh, you're doing really great too. Antonia is really coming to life."

"Oh, well, thank you" she beamed, applying the right amount of modesty to her tone as she curtsied.

The small, dark haired man chuckled as he studied her. "You're welcome. Did you need to talk about something" he questioned, lifting his bag onto his shoulder somewhat awkwardly. "I don't think you've ever come found me after rehearsal just to compliment me."

"Actually yes" she smiled, wringing her hands together. "I was wondering if you're busy this weekend, or if you would be available for a bit of a, a night out sometime if you will."

"Uhhhh...Listen Rachel, you're really great but you do realize that I don't play for your team, right?"

It was Rachel's turn to chuckle at the man in spite of the slight blush that stained her cheeks. Her gaydar was much more proficient these days. "Of course I do, this is a strictly friendly proposal on my part" she explained. "It's just that, being in this show has been a wonderful experience, but I can't help but realize that I haven't formed any real relationships with the cast outside of Jesse."

She was extremely thankful that her dear friend chose that moment to walk out of the dressing room. She quickly moved around Blaine, placing an arm around Jesse, effectively pulling him into the conversation.

"_We've _actually been talking about branching out and trying to better acquaint ourselves with you all, right" she announced to them, subtly pinching Jesse's behind to get him to co-operate.

"What? Um, yeah, what she said" he stated, reaching back and swatting her hand gently with a smile. She was impressed with how well Jesse seemed to be holding it together in front of his crush.

"You know Jesse, right" Rachel asked, reaching up to place a fond hand on her friends shoulder while she tried to sell him to Blaine. She was pleased when Blaine leaned forward with a smile, extending a friendly hand to Jesse.

"Of course, how's it going" he said brightly, shaking their joined hands before releasing the hold. Jesse mumbled back a _great_, and she was willing to bet that he tucked that hand behind him in order to keep from pumping it into the air in victory. "That sounds really cool you guys" Blaine added, shifting his bag over onto his other shoulder while looking between the other two. Rachel hoped that he was using the time to appraise Jesse, he looked especially cute today. "Who all is going?"

"Um, well just you actually, and us of course" Rachel told him, smiling brightly that her plan was going over so pleasantly. "We haven't talked to anyone else...yet. Baby steps."

Blaine chuckled again, shaking his head. "I know what you mean. Actors in this city can be very...frigid" he decided slowly, as if he wanted to use a more apt word that wasn't quite as polite.

"Totally" Jesse piped in, nodding eagerly. Rachel bit back her grin at him, focusing her attention on the task at hand.

"We both agreed that you were the best candidate seeing as you're so friendly, and honestly one of the better of the cast. Jesse here actually brags about you all of the time, he sees your professionalism and talent a little more than I do" she said lightly, pushing the ball into Jesse's court. His cheeks pinked beside her, but Blaine seemed nonplussed. He simply grinned at Jesse, giving a dramatic curtsey of his own.

"Oh, well, thank you" he said, repeating Rachel's words from earlier. They all shared an easy laugh, and Rachel felt a little bit like Cupid.

"So since we're all on board, this weekend" she asked, looking around to find both boys nodding. She smiled triumphantly. "Great. We can just meet at a bar and hang out. There's a nice little place that just opened up a little ways from here, _Decadent. _We could-"

"The Gay Bar" Blaine asked seriously, pursing his lips at her. "Wow, very stereotypical Rachel" he scolded. Her cheeks flamed instantly and she felt about two feet tall as she fidgeted under his gaze; until he started to laugh. "I'm totally kidding Rachel, calm down" he said as both he and Jesse enjoyed her embarrassment. "I have heard about that place, been looking for an excuse to go. So yeah, that sounds great."

"Perfect" she beamed, fully intending to play Cupid for the beginning of the night, then sneak out so their potential romance could blossom.

"Won't you feel a little out of place there though? Or are you..." he trailed off, looking to her questioningly.

Rachel shook her head vigorously at his question. Did she come off as a possible lesbian? She had been spending too much time with Santana. "No, no of course not, but I'm open to the experience." She paused at the pointed look from both men, realizing the double meaning her words could take. "Not like that" she squealed, her cheeks pinking once again when they chuckled at her once more. In spite of all of her embarrassment, at least they seemed to be having fun together. "I just mean that I'm open to going with an alternative bar with two friends interested in it. Obviously I won't be there with the same expectations as the two of you, if there are any" she backtracked. "It's just a casual night out, fun with friends, or you know, whatever" she rambled, waving her hands around.

"Yeah, it sounds great" Blaine offered, saving her from her word vomit. "So this weekend? You can text me the details" he suggested, holding a hand out towards her which she assumed was for her cell phone so that she could take his number. Inspiration struck her once again, and she deflected his hand toward Jesse.

"I actually don't have my phone on me, or a pen" she lied, thankful that her phone was currently tucked into her back pocket, out of sight. "But you can just give it to Jesse and he can text you with the details."

"Okay, sure" he nodded, accepting Jesse's phone that managed to appear seemingly out of thin , Rachel fought not to laugh at the sight, realizing how excited Jesse must be. She was feeling extremely proud of herself, she would have to make Jesse buy her tea, or better yet a tasty pastry after this. "Well, I'll see you guys this weekend" Blaine told them, waving goodbye before making his way out of the building.

Jesse followed Rachel to get her things out of the dressing rooms, grinning widely. When they were sure Blaine was out of range, he leaned over to wrap both arms around her in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground briefly. "Has anyone ever told you that you're awful at asking people out" he said, a contradiction to the sweet action as he placed her back down on the floor. Even so, she knew he was right.

"Shut up! I got the job done, unlike some people" she shot back, smacking his arm before picking up her things and leading them out as well.

"You do have a point there. Thank you, for that" he said softly, reaching down and pulling her arm through his own. "You're the best Rachel, really."

"You can say that again if you want" she teased, squeezing his forearm. "You deserve it. I'm not the only one on a pursuit" she said fondly, giving him a pointed look. Rachel knew for herself how hard it could get to be alone, searching desperately for that one. Jesse was no different that she was, with luck almost as bad so she had learned. He was too good to have to deal with such things, she truly did want him to find happiness; possibly being a part of him finding that happiness warmed her heart.

"No, we both are" he agreed, walking with her along the street. "Our next objective is to find your someone" he decided.

"Fingers crossed" she sighed.

"If all else fails, and we're still single when we're 35, _we'll_ get married and have beautifully talented children to continue the search" he mused, pulling her tightly into his side playfully.

"Oh yeah? You're going to put out for me" she teased, reaching around to pinch his behind again with a giggle.

"Of course not. The conception will be done medically of course" he laughed, scrunching his nose up at the thought of her lady parts. Rachel shoved his chest with a loud laugh.

"Well you're already excelling at the stereotypical husband duty of making me feel hideous" she fake pouted. "I demand to be taken to _Cakes and Pastries_ immediately, and _you're_ buying" she added, taking on the wife role with a victorious smile.

"Yes dear" Jesse laughed, hailing them a cab and sliding in beside her.

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_**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Wanna know what was going on with our precious Finn? Read 'Until I Found Her' by the lovely Firewifesara!** **Reviews make me super giddy and excited, when they're nice!**_


	7. Her Perseverance

**A/N: We wanted to reiterate once again why we chose to do this story this way. We are two separate authors who purposely chose to write two separate stories that go hand in hand. Each can be read without the other. For those of you who are reading both stories, there is extra information; Easter eggs, if you will. Those Easter eggs are easier to find and flush out when they are posted like this, one chapter at a time. Because of the nature of the story, if we were to have 100% Finchel interaction in every chapter, both stories would be almost exactly the same. That's why these stories are separate and go through telling us how they came together, adding meaning to the relationship when it comes. How they were able to find true love. As I'm sure you have noticed, they are in the same place often, that is deliberate and a part of the story. Much like in HIMYM, Rachel (and Finn) have to be ready, really ready. We have asked for your trust and your patience, and we thank you for allowing us to tell you their individual stories. As our titles and summary suggest, we are telling the story of how they came to be together.  
**

**As we have said before, this story (both POVs) was a ton of fun to write and share with you all, even if not everyone has seemed to quite be on board with the entire concept. We put a lot of time and thought into both stories, and we are extremely proud of them. We are very close to a Finchel happily ever after, VERY CLOSE! It will happen this week and we promise that the story won't end right after they meet. As you can see we have stepped up our updating this week... for you.**

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, HIMYM, Man of La Mancha or any of the characters involved. I do co-own Tessa and Frank.**_

* * *

"So what are your plans for tonight" Rachel asked, putting her second earring in place before her night out with Blaine and Jesse; she was only waiting for Jesse to show up so that they could ride together to _Decadent_. Looking over her shoulder she watched her best friend floating around the apartment grabbing her things. She couldn't be for certain, but it looked like she intended to be out for the night.

"I'm going back to the gym for a yoga class" she answered, an air of nonchalance to her voice. Rachel wouldn't fall for that facade, she knew better. She actually used to attend those classes with Santana often; Santana and _Brittany_.

"Ah, with Brittany I"m guessing?" She was pleased to see Santana fighting a large smile, avoiding eye contact as she stuffed a pair of shoes and a bottle of water into her bag.

"Yes with Brittany, get off my back Berry" she muttered, still smiling in spite of herself.

"Hey, I'm not judging. I'm really proud of you San, you seem happy" Rachel said genuinely, taking steps closer toward the grinning Latina.

"I am" she whispered, and Rachel was shocked to see what looked like a small tear in the corner of Santana's eye. She leaned forward with a happy squeal, folding her thin arms around the taller girl tightly. Santana accepted the hug for longer than Rachel had expected, and even squeezed her back before the fleeting moment was over.

It wasn't often that she showed emotion, but she seemed to be having a hard time fighting it recently. Brittany always seemed to have that effect on her; whether she would admit it or not the pretty blonde always brought out the best in Santana, she was good for her. Rachel really was proud to see Santana making such healthy strides in her love life. If this is what love did to a person, then she really and truly couldn't wait until she found it. For now though, she would be happy for her friend, and hopefully Jesse soon.

"Right" the Latina girl said quickly, pulling back from Rachel and getting herself back together. "I'm about to leave so, have fun at homo explosion" she said brightly, slinging her arm over her shoulder.

"I'll try. What time should you be home?"

"I'm not sure...don't wait up" Santana smirked, sending her a quick wink before disappearing out the door. It was impossible not to notice to subtle glow to her, the way her eyes shined. She was in love, whether she could admit it or not. It was funny the way love affects people, completely overtaking you without you even realizing it, in any amount of time.

With a pensive sigh Rachel looked down at her buzzing phone and opened her new text message. Seeing that it was Jesse she grabbed her keys, locked up the apartment, and headed down to meet him.

* * *

"I'm glad we came here, this place is awesome" Blaine cheered, bringing back a round of drinks for Jesse and Rachel.

She had to admit that at first she did feel a tad bit out of place but she soon relaxed into her surroundings, enjoying the company of her two friends. _Decadent_ was a lively club, fully of bright lights, pulsing music and more people than she had expected; very attractive people at that. She had to remind herself on more than one occasion not to become too entranced by the men around her or else go through another Jesse situation.

Laughing at herself she accepted the martini from Blaine and pressed it to her lips, taking a dainty sip. She looked around to see Jesse's beaming smile when Blaine handed him another beer. There hadn't been much flirting between the two in the time that they had been there, but she was still holding onto hope. They were both cordial, and eventually they were all comfortable enough to joke around and make fun of one another, but she was looking for more than just friendly fun.

"Why did you stop dancing" Rachel asked Blaine suddenly, widening her eyes at him exaggeratedly. "I was having fun watching you make a fool of yourself."

"I don't know, I think he looked pretty good out there" Jesse interjected, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Thank you Jesse" Blaine said pointedly, sticking his tongue out at Rachel. "It gets boring dancing out there by yourself though."

Honestly, she wasn't surprised that no other men had come over to dance with Blaine. Once he'd had a few drinks and loosened up, he'd rushed out onto the dance floor with the highest confidence. He claimed his spot on the brightly lit, crowded dance floor then immediately started to fling his body around in all manner of ways, changing up his rhythm constantly. She had even spotted a few people moving away from him, giving him more space to break dance, if that's what it was called. She'd never actually seen anyone move like that and even though it was a little odd, it was most certainly entertaining.

"And aren't you one to talk, you haven't wanted to move from this chair all night" Blaine continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I would love to go out there and show the both of you up" she bragged, raising her chin in the air. "However I'm hiding from the busty blonde on the edge of the dance floor." Both men followed her gaze to see the woman before looking to her again.

"Why would you be hiding from her" Jesse asked.

"If you must know, I'm fairly certain that she pinched my behind on my way back from the bar last time. I realize where I'm at, and I don't want to have to deal with the awkward encounter of her approaching me on the dance floor. I'm probably already going to have a bruise" she pouted.

"Who knew Rachel Berry was a little chicken, can you believe her" Blaine teased, leaning on Jesse's shoulder much to her delight. "Or worse yet, a homophobe."

She laughed aloud at his asinine insult and transparent attempt to get her on the dance floor. It did it's job though, and she stood from her seat. "You asked for it Blaine Anderson; I am about to pull out my boogie shoes" she declared, grabbing both of their hands and pulling them out onto the floor.

Rachel picked a spot on the opposite side of where they had been, distancing herself farther from the touchy blonde woman before claiming their spot. She purposefully picked a tight space as well, thankful that she was tiny and could shrink away leaving enough space for Jesse and Blaine to be so close they were practically dancing together.

As the songs progressed and changed they each got more comfortable, leaning into one another and playfully rubbing against each other. The boys had made themselves a Rachel sandwich by the time her bladder started to scream at her. It was the perfect excuse to remove herself from the equation, leaving behind a Jesse and Blaine she hoped.

"I'm going to the ladies room, I'll be right back."

"Do you need me to go with you" both men spoke at once, all three of them chuckling afterward.

"No dads, I'm a big girl. I think I can make it to the restroom all by myself" she teased, making a mental note to call and check on her dads soon, she hadn't heard from them in a few days.

There was quite a line at the ladies restroom, so she waited as patiently as possible before finally gaining access. Rachel hated using the bathroom in public places, especially ones that she wasn't familiar with but from what she could tell so far this was a very nice, very clean establishment. She relieved her screaming kidneys and made her way out of the bathroom, stopping short when she spotted Jesse sitting alone at the bar.

"Hey you, was Blaine not keeping you entertained" she asked lightly, coming up to stand by his side.

"Hardly. Just turns out I wasn't the only one he was entertaining" he responded a little dully, pointing across the dance floor.

Rachel followed the line of his finger and quickly spotted Blaine still where they had left him but now accompanied by another pale, very stylishly dressed man with an attention grabbing red hat adorning his head. She watched the pair moving together and realized that Blaine was no longer flinging himself around, but moving subtly, keeping his attention focused on the face of his new partner. The two men seemed to be talking while they rocked, smiling brightly, and was that a blush she saw on Blaine's cheeks.

Quickly she turned her attention back to Jesse tilting his beer to his lips. He didn't look as sad as she was expecting, just, thoughtful. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay Rachel, it's not like we were dating" he answered. "It was just a silly little crush. Honestly, I'm happy for him."

She followed his gaze toward the pair of men once again. She couldn't deny that Blaine looked extremely happy, happier than she had seen him all night. He was completely entranced by the man in front of him. It was strange how quickly things had shifted, but as she had realized earlier, love knows no time frame.

"Are you sure" she asked, leaning her head over on Jesse's shoulder before pressing a kiss to it.

"Yeah, I'm sure. New York is a pretty big pond, there are plenty more fish out there. Probably with better shaped eyebrows" he added with a chuckle, lightening the mood.

"Nineteen million people in this state and two people can walk into the same place at the same time" she said nodding towards Blaine and the new man, "and click immediately. Is it really that easy?"

"I don't know Rachel, apparently" he sighed, downing the last of his beer setting it down.

"Why hasn't it happened to us then" she asked, pulling back to look him in the eyes. She knew he could probably see the sadness in her own and she felt a little tug on her heart when she saw the matching look in his eyes. It was at least comforting to know that they weren't alone, they had each other.

"It will, I know it will. It'll just take time, and a lot of patience" he muttered the last part. He didn't have to expressly say it, she knew that he was just as frustrated with the lecture he was giving as she was. "We all get our special moment, finding the person that will change our lives forever. I think the journey to finding them is what makes it the most worthwhile. Or something like that" he finished with a flurry of his hands. "One day when we're not even expecting it some dreamy guy is going to walk up and steal our hearts without even trying, we just can't give up hope." He nodded determinedly at the end of his speech, and she couldn't help but be inspired by his positiveness. He was right, he just had to be.

"You always know what to say" Rachel smiled softly, grasping his hand in her own.

"Yeah, well right now all I really want to say is an extremely unhealthy but wholly gratifying order to a food service person'" Jesse chuckled, standing from his seat. "What do you say we get out of here and try a new dessert place or something, on me?"

"That sounds lovely" Rachel agreed, looking down at the time on her cell phone. "But it's still kind of early; what do you say we go by the grocery pick up some Vegan ice cream, something from RedBox and have movie night at my place" she asked.

"I think that's the perfect way to salvage this evening" he nodded, turning towards the exit doors.

"Great. You can go ahead out, let me just run say goodbye to Blaine so he doesn't think we ditched him." Jesse rolled his eyes at the irony, but chose not to say anything as he walked out. Rachel ran over to Blaine, telling him that she was starting not to feel well and that Jesse was going to take her home. He wished her well and told her to be safe before she hurried out onto the street with Jesse.

* * *

"He was cute."

"He was cute, but that doesn't mean you're any less handsome. Or adorable, or charming, or sweet and funny" she listed, poking Jesse in the ribs as they walked out of the grocery store with their things.

"Tell that to Blaine" he grumbled before shaking his head. "I'm being petty."

"You are, but I get it" she giggled, sticking her tongue out at him. "It's hard not to be petty, or even cynical at times like these. We need to vent, we need validation" she declared, shaking her fist in the air.

"Right? I love you, but hearing you tell me that I'm handsome just isn't the same as a hunky stranger approaching me on the sidewalk and making me believe it hands on."

Rachel burst into laughter at his suggestive tone. "Exactly! Hey, aren't we going to hail a taxi" Rachel asked, her eyebrows scrunching together when Jesse continued to lead them down the street and towards the subway.

"Rachel when we're in a taxi we're alone, just the two of us and a questionable driver shut out from the world. Why not broaden our horizons a little? There are lots of interesting people on the subway and what can I say, I'm feeling adventurous tonight" he said, wiggling his eyebrows as he pulled her forward.

"You're insane, but I'm loving the enthusiasm. Let's go" she agreed, holding his hand and her hand purse a little tighter as they walked down the stairs to the subway.

She avoided the people lining the walkway, looking straight ahead with hopes that she would be less likely to be singled out and mugged. She knew that was a little judgmental, but it had been a little while since she had ridden the subway, so she was cautious. Thankfully, they didn't have to wait as the doors were already open for passengers. Never releasing her tight grip on Jesse's hand she let him lead her on board, trusting him to know where they were going and all of the logistics.

They had just boarded the subway together and taken their seats in the crowded cart. Rachel allowed her eyes to roam over the people, searching for anyone who sparked who might possibly spark her interest. Unfortunately all she found were a group of overly drunk girls who clearly shouldn't be driving, a bearded man who appeared to be talking to himself, and a few men scattered around with excessive piercings or tattoos on their faces. She had no problem with tattoos, honestly she found them to be sexy on a man, but there was a point when it could be just too much.

Rachel looked over and saw a matching look of disappointment on her companions face. She shrugged her shoulders exaggeratedly when he met her gaze, and sighed. Allowing her eyes to roam outside of the cart as it started to move she took in the people walking around outside, and those who were just walking up to wait for the next boarding. Apparently she wasn't the only one who wasn't so sure about the subway schedule. She watched the people, very different and in a lot of cases interesting, bustling around before her gaze landed on a tall man. He looked like he would be attractive up close, but she really couldn't tell much about him besides his tall, broad profile from such a distance and sighed as the train pulled off and he disappeared from view.

He was a metaphor for her own potential man; right on the edge of her life, but essentially out of reach. She mentally questioned the universe before pulling the small green iPod, Elphaba as she had recently decided to name it, from her purse and stroked the pad of her finger over the face.

"You're slacking on me" she whispered to her good luck charm, shaking her head.

"What was that Rachel?"

"Nothing" she replied, leaning her head against Jesse's shoulder. She plugged her ear buds in, offering one to Jesse so that he could listen too as they endured the long, hopelessly uneventful ride.

_**Thanks for reading, hope that you enjoyed. Don't forget to check in with Finn by reading 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara. The link is in my bio. Reviews are welcome, being mean is frowned upon.**_


	8. Her Performance

_**Double Update, because we love you.  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not own Glee, HIMYM, MOLM or any of the characters used. We do own Tessa and Frank.  
**_

* * *

Rachel sat cross legged in front of the mirror as she waited to make her debut on the off Broadway stage. The last few weeks had held some very trying and even grueling rehearsals, but in the end it was worth it. She was extremely proud of her whole cast and was sure that they would give an amazing performance; at least she hoped so. She would be lying if she said her own nerves weren't working at her as she waited. You never know what kind of talent scouts or even directors and producers will be in the audience looking for new talent.

"You are a star Rachel Berry. You can do this, you were born to do this" she repeated to herself over and over, clinging to the words in spite of the music playing through her ear buds. Turning the green iPod over in her hands she knew she was about to start fidgeting uncontrollably. In an effort to prevent herself from doing so and worrying she leaned into the mirror, critically looking over her face to make sure that every line her heavy stage makeup was perfect. She looked so much different than usual, younger. It's amazing what makeup and a well styled wig could do; she felt glamorous. Her costume was hanging behind her on the costume rack, but she had chosen not to put it on quite yet.

"_Curtain in fifteen_."

Immediately the others started to rustle around, going about their own pre-show routines and reciting their lines aloud for a final time.

With a determined nod she strode toward her costume, pulling it from its rack and starting to pull it on. "I'm Rachel Barbara Berry and I'm a star, I'm going to shine."

* * *

"I can't believe how amazing tonight was" Rachel gushed to Jesse as he approached the table Rachel was occupying in the spacious room.

They had officially made it through an absolutely wonderful show, and managed to remain relatively professional afterwards. Now however, they were at the freedom of the cast party where they were free to celebrate. Honestly, Rachel had started to celebrate when Santana and Brittany surprised her backstage after the show with a bouquet. Her eyeballs had almost popped out of their sockets at such a sweet act from her friend, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Brittany played a larger part in it. There _was_ a hand drawn manual attached to the bouquet, written in crayon, instructing her on how to take care of the flowers so that they could live a long and happy life.

After a day of not using her voice, preserving it for opening night, and drinking only water and herbal tea constantly for her vocal chords, she happily accepted the glass of white wine that Jesse brought her.

"Me neither, or how many people there were! We were really somebodies tonight" he agreed happily.

"We've always been somebodies, tonight was just the validation we needed" she corrected, holding her glass out for a toast to him. "It's only the beginning. Here's to us, our star power, and to hoping that we never lose it" she cheered, clinking her glass to his and downing the drink.

"Whoa, calm down Rachel, we both know you're not the best for holding your alcohol" he laughed, placing his hand over hers.

"I don't care, I just want to celebrate" she cheered, her eyes sparkling from the high of her outstanding performance. "This is my dream Jesse, this means everything to me. All this time I've let myself become obsessed with love and romance and frivolous things like that when _this_ is my true love; being onstage."

"There isn't a feeling like it" he nodded. "But romantic love isn't to be slept on either Rachel. Until you really find it, you don't know which feeling really means the most to you."

"Do you even hear yourself right now" she scoffed, standing from her seat to fetch herself another drink. Instead of arguing Jesse simply shook his head at her. "I'm going to go and get another drink to celebrate this very successful night in our careers, would you like one?"

"I'll go get it" he offered quickly, attempting to stand.

"Nonsense, you got the first ones I can go get more. Besides, I feel like mingling" she winked and turned without another word.

Rachel floated through the room, stopping to shake hands with the hard working crew members throughout the room and a few of her cast mates. A very excited Blaine in particular greeted her very brightly when she passed him.

"Great job tonight Rachel" he beamed, pulling her in for a tight hug. Rachel had expected things to take a turn for the awkward after her failed match making mission with Blaine and Jesse to _Decadent_, but that wasn't the case at all. He was seemingly oblivious to the crush that Jesse had been harboring, and since that night had made an effort in reaching out to both he and Rachel at rehearsals. Blaine really was a good guy, even Jesse had come around to fully getting over the little crush and was capable of hanging out in a strictly friendly manner. Besides, it was obvious that whoever the new guy Blaine was dating really meant a lot to him, he had that glow that Santana seemed to have these days.

"You too Blaine. Did your boyfriend get to come watch the show tonight?"

"He did actually" he grinned, straightening his bow tie. "The show was amazing, as I knew it would be" he assured her, waving his hands around the room at the many talented people. "But there's nothing like looking out in the audience and seeing _that_ face."

"That's really great, I'm happy for you" Rachel replied, unable to miss the shining light in Blaine's eyes at the mention of his partner and their apparent blossoming romance. It was almost the same look that she had seen on his face when he was bowing at the curtain call. Her earlier words came back to haunt her as she studied his expression. Here she had been walking around with a healthy glow all night long, but she couldn't deny that the one on this man's face rivaled her own, and for different reasons. She envied him, her heart aching to wear that same look even if she didn't want to admit it.

Saying her goodbyes to Blaine, she approached the bar and retrieved two more glasses of the smooth white wine for herself and Jesse before returning to their table.

"What's wrong Princess" he asked, taking in her pensive expression.

"I hate it when you're right" she sighed. He didn't ask any questions or even make fun of her, and she loved him for that; he understood. He simply leaned over, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple before whispering '_patience_' in her ear. She nodded with a small smile but her eyebrows furrowed when Jesse's patient gaze moved over her shoulder, quickly turning to a look of excitement. He stood from his seat and placed his glass down on the table. "Where are you going?"

"They just brought the food out" he told her as if it were a pressing matter, patting his stomach exaggeratedly. "I don't know about you teeny, but I get super hungry when I've been on stage."

Rachel giggled when his words and body coordinated perfectly, his stomach releasing a sudden loud growl. "We'd better hit that line before whatever is in there gets out and attacks us all."

Jesse led them to the the end of the serving line, and they exchanged stories from the night as they waited patiently; well Rachel waited patiently. She was threatening to take a fork out of the already rolled silverware and rid him of the beast in his stomach when they finally reached the front of the line. The arrangement of finger foods and desserts look great and the caterers were all very friendly, one in particular who gave Jesse what seemed like an extra large helping of the chocolate souffle and a winning smile.

"Did you see that" Rachel whispered as they were walking away.

"See what?"

"That guy was totally checking you out" she declared, setting her plate on the table and looking at Jesse expectantly.

"What guy?" From the slight blush to his cheeks and way he was avoiding her eyes, she knew he knew what guy.

"Don't play coy with me Jesse St. James" she demanded, sliding her own plate right beside his. "Do you see this? Look at my serving, now look at yours. That's favoritism" she grinned, poking his elbow. "And if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure I saw you return that flirtatious smile of his." She hadn't actually seen that at all, but she read him now well enough to read him. When the blush on his cheeks went up a notch she started to clap excitedly. "What are you doing? Why didn't you say anything to him?"

"I actually did already" he mumbled, fluffing out his napkin and placing it over his lap. "He was the one who served me our first drinks."

"No wonder" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "Why didn't you tell me this before? You've let me be condescending and negative about romance all night when instead I could have been stalking this guy from across the room for you and assisting you with my Cupid services again."

"Because they worked so well the first time" he teased without skipping a beat. At her large pout Jesse laughed. "I'm joking. I'm not even sure if this is a thing Rachel, it wouldn't be the first time I've misread things. It's hard to tell between an 'I think you're really cute' smile, and a 'this is my job I have to look happy of I'll get fired' smile."

"All the more reason that had you told me I could have helped assess the situation for you. Honestly, and you call yourself my friend" she said dramatically, shaking her head at him. "Here you are keeping all the fun from me."

"You wouldn't have considered it all that fun just a little while ago."

"I was being ridiculous and petty, I get it from you" she said the first part truthfully, shrugging her shoulders. "You do know that right? I want you to be happy, regardless of if I'm left alone with a house full of cats watching reruns of _my crazy obsession_."

"I do" he nodded with a deep, hearty chuckle.

Fully intending to continue her sappy speech about being supportive of Jesse and how she did believe in love and its benefits, she was halted by the presence of someone standing by their table. Her eyes widened further, but she tried to keep it cool when she recognized the man from the serving line now carrying a tray of filled wine glasses. His job sure was versatile.

"Would you all care for another" he asked, his eyes focused on her friend alone.

Jesse smiled back at the man, eying the two empty glasses in front of him before once again meeting his gaze. "I don't know, one too many and we might start to look like alcoholics" he joked.

"Not at all. You're stage manager on the other hand" he trailed off, looking a few tables over at a very inebriated Sunshine Corazon swaying in her seat and holding onto one of the stagehands. "I'm not so sure about."

"She's just happy, she definitely has reason to celebrate.. I don't know if you've heard, but we just opened what should be a very successful show tonight" Jesse said proudly, looking over at Rachel with a grin. She nodded along silently, amazed by his ability to be suave in such a situation.

"I have actually, they tend to tell us what kind of events we're serving for" the man smiled. "I'm hoping to come and see it soon, I've heard great things all night. This cast is certainly, _interesting..._easy on the eyes too" he added, blushing slightly as his gaze stayed on Jesse. She could have been offended as he clearly didn't mean that towards her, but she only felt increasing excitement for the man beside her.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you...Sebastian" Jesse said softly, eying the man's name tag before returning his steady gaze. "You should let me know when you want to come and I'll score you a ticket, a good one" he offered, reaching for both the napkin beside him and the pen in his shirt pocket to write down his number for Sebastian. "My name is Jesse by the way."

"Great. I'll give you a call soon, Jesse" he winked, setting two glasses of wine down on the table.

"Can't wait."

Rachel could barely contain her squeal, and as soon as Sebastian was far enough to be unaware she released it as quietly as possible turning to Jesse with a bright smile.

"Don't" Jesse cut her off, placing a gentle hand over her mouth. "For one, he might still be able to see us. And two, I don't want to jinx it."

"What do you mean jinx it? That went great" she whispered, trying to contain her own excitement. She knew Jesse was as well the way he was now fidgeting with his napkin.

"I don't want to get my hopes up too soon. He's really cute-"

"_Really_ cute."

"-and obviously sweet, but we've had one conversation. I refuse to oversell myself on this and go all Taylor Swift" he declared, grabbing up one of the tiny sandwiches and popping it into his mouth."

"But you totally want to."

"_Totally _want to" he agreed with a dramatic sigh, turning to her. "Did you see his forearms? And that smile!"

Rachel giggled at her friends antics, surprised by how genuine the smile on her own face was. This was one of her best friends, her partner in the frenzied pursuit of love. He was the one who stuck by her, encouraging her to keep her head up and be patient, then on a night they hadn't expected to be about anything besides their show, in walks Sebastian. Sure he might not be the one for Jesse at all, they might have one failed date and never speak again, or even something worse, but he was a chance and he looked like a promising one if she was basing it off of the vibe she had gotten. Her resolve to find her own chance only grew stronger as she listened to Jesse gush with a face full of food.

She wasn't going to give up, not anytime soon.

_**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. Good things happening in the next chapter. Don't forget to check in with Finn by reading 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara. The link is in my bio.** _


	9. She's Ready

_**Thank you all so much for your lovely and supportive reviews! I have a feeling you'll enjoy this chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not own Glee or any of the characters. **_

"Could you pass the kettle corn please?"

Rachel lay stretched out on the couch, her head resting against the cushion with her toes tucked underneath Santana's warm thigh. It had been quite some time since they had found the opportunity to fit in a proper girls night in for just the two of them what with Santana now full out dating Brittany and Rachel staying busy with _Man of La Mancha_ and still giving her voice lessons. Even so, the past few hectic weeks had been great ones.

"I don't know if I should" Santana answered pointedly, reaching out a hand to poke Rachel in the belly repeatedly. Not helping her case at all Rachel giggled madly like the Pillsbury Doughboy himself before swatting Santana's hand away.

"Are you calling me fat" she pouted looking down at her tiny stomach.

"I'm saying you're going to _get_ fat if you keep lounging around eating and not going to the gym. When's the last time you went? And don't give me that 'show body' crap" Santana added before Rachel could interrupt. It was no secret that when doing a show an actor tended to be in their best shape. It was a good thing too as it was necessary for them to be their best on the stage. It was called 'show body' which Rachel had now, but even she couldn't deny that being onstage alone wouldn't help her to keep up the excellent physique that she wanted.

Even so, it was Girls Night and that was all about eating tasty treats with your friends and not feeling guilty about it, so she leaned up on the couch and reached out towards the bag of kettle corn herself before Santana pulled it out of her reach, arching a brow at her.

"Should I take it to mean since you completely ignored my helpful advice that you don't care how you look anymore? I thought you were on this whole 'find true love' quest?"

"I'm not ignoring your advice San. I'd actually been thinking about going soon anyway, _very_ soon" she amended at her friends stern expression. "I'll do all of the cardio and toning I can, I promise. Now can I please have some of the kettle corn that _I_ bought?"

Santana narrowed her eyes slightly, keeping her hold on the bag before releasing a deep breath. "Rachel. I don't do emotions and feelings and all that crap so you know how much it pains me to say this, but I'm worried about you." Rachel was taken aback at the comment, did she really look that fat? She looked down at her stomach that certainly still seemed taut to her before Santana captured her attention again. "You haven't been out in a while, you never go on dates anymore, and I know you had that freakish pillow out again the other night. I peeped in on you, it's what I do" she explained, waving a dismissive hand towards Rachel's questioning look.

"San, I'm fine" Rachel said calmly, smiling softly at her invasive but caring friend.

"I just don't think you should be giving up so soon. This is a big city, you never know what's out there. Besides, if you get all lonely and give up on love I can't deal with an apartment full of cats and random knitting; I'll kick you out of here and have Brittany in so fast your head will spin."

"Trying to get rid of me for Brittany so soon" Rachel teased, folding her arms.

"It's only a matter of time" Santana grinned, nudging Rachel's leg. "But seriously, what if that is somewhere in the future? You're fragile okay, and I don't like the idea of you being left alone."

"That's really sweet San, but I'm telling you I'm fine" she assured her, leaning forward as well to look her directly in the eyes. "I've had a lot of time to think about things and this whole quest ya know? It just seems to me like the harder you work and the more you search the less likely things are to work out. Just look at you and Britt" she mused. "You met one day and maintained the oddest version of best friendship I've ever seen and now you're practically soulmates" Rachel said thoughtfully, enjoying the serene look on her friends face. "Then there's Blaine, and even Jesse. Or Julia Roberts in _Pretty Woman_, Kate Hudson in _How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days_, Jennifer Lopez in _The Wedding Planner,_ -"

"Not all real life examples, but I see your point" Santana chuckled with a shake of her head.

"All completely valid examples regardless" Rachel insisted. "I just, I guess I realize now that you have to be content with who you are as a person before you can expect to make anyone else happy."

"That was actually really smart midget" Santana smiled patting Rachel's knee before returning to her normal demeanor. "Good, now that we got that out of the way can we start this movie?"

"Right after I get my kettle corn" Rachel said sweetly, holding her arms out for the bag. "Gym soon, I promise" she insisted, grinning when Santana relented and handed over the bag.

* * *

Soon turned out to be quicker than she expected. The next day Rachel had a free morning and decided to make her way to _Elite's_. It had been quite some time since she had been to the fancy, upscale gym that she used to attend with Santana and Brittany, but she swiped her member card and quickly navigated to the locker room to stash her things just like old times. She tucked her pink yoga mat under her arm, her iPod into the top pocket of her pink tank top, popped her ear buds in and quickly navigated her way to the first empty room she could find.

Rachel laid her trusty pink mat down and sat down to eagerly set about starting her warm up. She focused on all of her muscle groups as she stretched and listened to the upbeat music of _Locked Out of Heaven._ She was cooling down her warmup, her palms pressed to the ground as she bent at the waist when she felt a sort of prickling feeling. She rolled herself up from her position, turning around to face the window but saw no one watching her like she thought she felt. Rachel shook her head of the thoughts and continued her cool down without another thought. When she was finished she rolled up her yoga mat and exited the room to stick it in the locker room with the rest of her things before making her way out to the larger room where the most of the equipment was.

Rachel frowned slightly as she eyed how crowded the treadmills were as that was supposed to be her next workout. She let her eyes roam over the people on the treadmills, allowing them to fall on an extremely tall man with dark hair. She couldn't make out his face, but he seemed strangely familiar. Giving up her creepy staring, Rachel decided to head over to the free weights section on the opposite side of the room instead.

She took two of the smaller weights in her hands, alternating presses and curls for a few reps until her arms felt tight; flappy arms were not something she wanted to deal with until she was at least sixty five. She moved through the rest of her reps quickly and deposited the weights back in the rack before looking up to find that luckily some of the treadmills were now free. Namely, the one that once held the man that had caught her attention.

Unable to help herself, Rachel walked over to that exact treadmill, rested her water bottle in a holder and rested her iPod in the second holder. She set the speed and incline to the machine and started to job. It didn't take long for the sweat to start to fall, and she distracted herself with the fast paced music in her ears to push her through it. When she had run an appropriate amount of time to get her heart pumping and complete her workout she stopped the timer and stepped off of the machine. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, retrieved her things and took off for the locker room.

The workout really had felt good; the endorphins produced made her happy and full of energy, but that didn't mean she was any less excited about getting out of there. It was always more fun to workout when you had a partner. She would never break and enlist Santana as a trainer, but Brittany might be a good substitution. They all used to do yoga together, she knew how pleasant of a person Brittany was to be around. Or maybe even she could talk Jesse into coming with her sometime.

Rachel was running through plans to enlist either of the two to come with her as she walked through the lobby, and wrapped up in her thoughts completely missed the large man coming towards her. She ran smack into the man and fell on her behind with a small yelp as her things fell out of her arms.

"I'm so sor-" she heard in a deep, rich voice, but all else disappeared when her gaze fell upon the warm amber eyes now at eye level with her, attempting to help her up. The irony wasn't lost on her that she had just fallen for this man physically and was now feeling completely under some sort of spell as his wide eyes bore into her own. He was without a doubt the most handsome man she had ever seen up close. The kind amber tone of his eyes was beyond compelling, and the freckles dusting his cheeks were endearing. Noting the brown mop of messy hair on top of his head, the light sheen of sweat on his forehead, and the sweaty t-shirt adorning his broad, muscular body she wondered if this were the man she had noticed on the treadmill earlier.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention" he finally said, breaking her sudden trance. The man, a perfect gentleman in spite of the unfortunate collision, started to reach for her things at their feet while simultaneously trying to help her to get up. Her hands moved of their own accord as she tried to gather all of her stuff as well.

"No, I'm sorry. I ran into you" Rachel all but stuttered when his fingers met hers over the small green iPod in the mix. The butterflies soared through her stomach at just the slight touch and she hoped that he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks. Suddenly not wearing any makeup at all seemed like a horrible idea to her, but then again that would have just made her look cheesy to be dolled up when she'd obviously been working out. She hoped she looked descent, and still smelled good as the perfect man started to stand with her. He was extremely tall, almost a foot taller than her, and she found that insanely attractive.

Rachel's eyes stayed locked with his, a prisoner to whatever magic the amber depths possessed until his brows furrowed together slightly and he looked down at the small green iPod between their fingers. She ached to run a finger over the adorable crease between his eyes as he seemingly started to think about something, waiting with bated breath until he finally opened his mouth again. When he did, to say the least, she was surprised.

"You have my iPod."

_**Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed. P.S. Yay Finchel! Don't forget to read 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! The link is in my bio!** _


	10. Getting To Know Him

_**A/N: Finally, the moment you've been waiting for! Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to read Finn's point of view in 'Until I Found Her' by the lovely and talented Firewifesara. The link is in my bio!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, HIMYM, Wicked, MOLM, or any of the characters involved. Tessa and Frank are still ours, and we're keeping them.  
**_

* * *

"_You have my iPod_."

Rachel blinked up at the beautiful man's words. Could the iPod she had come to hold so dear really be his? Seriously, what were the chances that the iPod that she found so long ago belonged to this random, gorgeous hunk of man standing in front of her.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry no, you must be mistaken" Rachel told him shakily, hoping he didn't realize the falter in her voice came at the precise moment that his large, warm hand released hers. She missed the sweet contact and immediately tightened her fingers around the small iPod, now solely in her possession, to resist the irrational urge to reach out for him again.

"I'm sure of it" he argued, now looking towards her hand. "That scratch, I know how it got there."

Rachel raised her eyebrows at the man but she couldn't deny that she appreciated his determination; she was no stranger to it herself. "Please, enlighten me."

"I was getting this" he explained, suddenly raising the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the intricate tribal arm band circling his bicep, "and I dropped it on the floor."

Rachel enjoyed the way the toned muscles flexed as he showed off his arms, the impressive image fogging her brain slightly. "That's very umm, I-" she stuttered, trying with every bit of her being to tamper down the blush that she was sure stained her cheeks the more she studied him. He was too good looking, too well built, it just wasn't fair to her sanity. She fought to push those very thoughts to the back of her mind as the pressing matter came back to her mind. This stranger was trying to take her good luck charm, and he was sure going to have to prove it before she handed it over.

"Okay, name three of the songs on the my favorites playlist" she challenged.

"Okay, um, _Jessie's Girl_, _More Than a Feeling_, and _Don't Stop Believing_" he recited after just a few seconds, counting the titles off on his fingers as he said them.

"Darn it…" Rachel breathed, tightening her grip on the small green device. Well, those songs weren't all that unpopular, anybody could have guessed those. Thankfully there was a very personal detail about the iPod that only the owner would know. "Alright, if this is really your iPod, what is engraved on the back?"

"To follow that star" he said proudly, causing Rachel's jaw to drop immediately.

"That's right" she said, disbelief coloring her tone in spite of her words. "Huh, what are the odds of that?"

"I'm right huh? That is my iPod. Where did you find it?" His eyes twinkled with victory in an adorable fashion, but she kept her grip on the green iPod nonetheless.

"I found it in my apartment one night, though I'm fairly certain I've never seen you before to have invited you over" she admitted, running back through the memory of that fateful night in her mind as she recalled it. Suddenly, a major detail from that whole evening registered in her mind, and she smirked up at the large, broad man standing in front of her. "Of course...do you happen to know a Santana Lopez?"

Rachel tried to hold it together when she saw his cheeks start to pink at the name of her best friend, the struggle even harder when he released a tortured groan. She couldn't believe it, this was the _naked cowboy_.

"Ah, I see" she said, stifling a giggle. "I take it you lost this with the rest of your clothes?"

"Apparently" he groaned, a full on blush now coloring his well sculpted cheeks. "I'm never going to live that down. How do you know Santana?"

"Probably not" Rachel admitted, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "She is my best friend and roommate for far too many years."

"That was not my finest moment. I hope you don't hold it against me."

Rachel studied his genuine expression. Honestly, he didn't seem at all like the kind of guy who would pull a stunt like the Naked Man, and she couldn't imagine what drove him to try it, but it certainly seemed like he had learned his lesson. Besides, she knew all too well how much of a rush the pursuit of love could be, who was to say that he wasn't just like her? She would be lying if she said she hadn't made a fool out of herself on more than one occasion for romantic reasons, so she really couldn't hold it against him.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. If it makes you feel any better, you aren't the only man in New York City who has tried that technique. I had my own unfortunate experience a few months ago" she added, scowling at the memory of Jacob Ben Israel. After all of this time and that was still an image she couldn't scrub from her memory.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who has tried it, though I wish I hadn't. It was embarrassing and everybody seems to have heard the story. Even gorgeous women I accidentally knock down at the gym."

Rachel's wide eyes shot to his amber ones, looking for any sign of mockery or sarcasm in them. She found none. The blush started to burn her cheeks under his scrutiny, and she glanced down at her feet before meeting his gaze again.

"You think I'm gorgeous?"

"Of course I do. Doesn't your boyfriend" he asked, a hopeful note ringing his tone.

"_Um_, I actually don't have one at the moment" Rachel smiled, hoping she was doing a better job of hiding her own enthusiasm.

"Oh. Uh. That's cool. No!" he suddenly cried, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought. " I mean, uh. I'm just going to shut up now."

"No, no it's fine" she laughed, reveling in the joy his endearing flustering was giving her before composing herself to do some information digging of her own. It was only fair. "How about you? Your girlfriend won't be angry with you for giving out such kind, ill deserved compliments, will she" Rachel asked, praying that he would respond with the answer that she desperately wanted to hear.

"I don't have one so I'm free to compliment whoever I want. And you are…Gorgeous. I mean."

"That's very sweet of you" Rachel beamed, still unable to detect anything but truth in his face at the words she had been so thirsty to hear. "But I can only imagine what a mess I look having just finished my workout."

She fidgeted under his intense gaze as his eyes traced up her body, unable to look away from him herself. "Trust me, you look great. Did you have somewhere to be right now?"

Rachel continued to study the handsome stranger in front of her, dying to tell him that she would gladly be anywhere he wanted her to be, but unable to do so. "I have voice lessons in an hour, why do you ask?"

"There is a great smoothie place around the corner, I was wondering if you might, uh, want to grab one with me" he suggested hopefully.

The smile slowly started to spread across Rachel's face and she folded her arms over her chest. "Smoothies with a _stranger_? I don't even know your name."

"Oh! It's Finn. Finn Hudson" he told her. "And yours?"

"Rachel Berry."

"Rachel" he breathed, the warm texture of his voice, the way he said her name like a caress making her heart do flips in her chest. "Now that we aren't strangers anymore, do you have time for a smoothie? I don't want to make you late."

"I think I do, actually" she grinned, mentally calculating how long it would take her to get the smoothie, go home and shower before her lesson. "But I won't have much time."

"Okay. Let me help you with that" he offered. She happily noted his constant chivalry as he bent down to pick up her fallen pink yoga mat. Rachel handed him her bag as well, pleased when he easily accepted it and led her out of the gym.

They walked in companionable silence down the sidewalk, Rachel trying hard not to stare to hard at her gorgeous partner as they walked. She soon realized that she was still maintaining her death grip on the small green iPod in her fist and a pang of guilt hit her. He seemed like a really good guy, and she had basically taken his iPod and kept it to herself even after finding out that it belonged to him. She didn't want to part with it as it really did seem to be just the good luck charm she needed, but she knew she had to. Maybe.

"I should probably give this back now, huh" she asked quietly, holding out her opened palm towards him.

Rachel stared at him hopefully, hoping the puppy dog that usually worked on Jesse and Santana would apply to him as well. She beamed when he smiled at her, reaching out to re-close her fingers around the iPod.

"No. You keep it" he told her, the warmth from his fingers seeping into her skin. "I've already replaced it and it seems to like you."

Rachel almost squealed in her excitement, instead bringing the hand holding the iPod to rest over her heart. "I was really hoping you would say that" she admitted, "Elphaba has become sort of my good luck charm." And it really was, it led her to him. She mentally kicked herself for how cheesy that sounded, and focused her attention back on him when he spoke.

"It was always mine too" he agreed, a thoughtful expression crossing his face before he cleared his throat. "Uh, so Elphaba huh. Where did you come up with that?"

Rachel's jaw dropped for a second time as she stared at him, her hands flying to her hips. "You don't recognize it? The famous musical _Wicked" _she cried, looking to him expectantly before he shook his head at her with a small chuckle. "This is a terrible problem Finn, how can you not know _Wicked_" she asked, shaking her head at him playfully; well mostly playfully. "Have you been living under a rock?"

"A fire house actually" he chuckled. A fireman? _No wonder_ she thought to herself, subtly eying his toned muscles and broad chest again. He really was in great shape.

"Well either way" she argued, refocusing her attention, "this is a wrong that must be righted. _Wicked_ is still showing on Broadway now, I insist that you find time outside of work to go and see it. You won't regret it, it's a incredible show" she gushed.

"When was the last time you saw it" he asked slowly, looking to her expectantly.

"It's been a while actually, not since they swapped the lead actress. But it's a wonderful show; I'll probably go see it again soon" she added smoothly, looking around at the people scattered in the Groovy Smoothie as she left the ball in his court.

"Maybe we could go see it sometime...together" he offered casually, avoiding eye contact as well. "We could get dinner before, if you want to?"

Rachel beamed up at him, thrilled at the intense blush on his cheeks despite the nonchalant tone to his voice. "That sounds like a lovely evening to me" she told him, forgoing teasing him in her excitement. Finn offered her a dazzling half smile in response, but didn't get to answer further as it was then their turn in line. Finn asked what she wanted and gave their orders to the tall, lanky guy behind the counter. They retrieved their respective drinks and Finn led Rachel out to a small table on the sidewalk where they both took a seat.

"It was clear that I meant dinner and the show with me, right" he asked suddenly, a slight tinge of worry to his voice. "Like a date?"

Rachel couldn't help but giggle at the man, though deep down she knew his worry was legitimate. "Crystal" she assured him. "I'm actually glad you care enough to clarify. The last 'date' I went on turned out to not be a real date at all. I wish I had taken the time to clarify beforehand, I sat through _I Don't Wanna Know_ for nothing" she told him, taking healthy sips of her delicious berry smoothie.

"That movie was terrible" he agreed. "I saw most of it, but thankfully I got kicked out by security."

"That's funny" Rachel chuckled, replaying the memory in her mind. "When I saw it there was a man who got kicked out for tossing popcorn." Rachel watched him carefully, noting the way he avoided looking at her. He looked down at his smoothie and towards the street, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck in a nervous tick that she was coming to find entirely endearing. "Oh my God" she breathed, "that was you wasn't it?" Seriously, how big was New York City? What were the odds of all this?

"Uh, well, sounds like me" he admitted quietly. "Frank was cool about it though. The security guard" he added, wiping the confused expression off of her face as a thoughtful look crossed his own. "You were there?"

"I was" she confirmed, nodding her head enthusiastically and simultaneously taking another sip of her smoothie. "I was a few rows behind you. I should thank you for that, I had more fun observing your shenanigans than watching the screen" she giggled. "The movie was a great deal more boring after you were escorted out."

"My friend was not happy that I got kicked out" he told her.

"Well I found it entertaining" Rachel assured him, looking at him seriously. "As long as you don't get kicked out during _Wicked _we are going to get along just fine" she told him mock sternly; okay maybe 60 percent sternly.

"I'll behave, I promise" he chuckled, the sound now music to her ears.

"Good, then I guess I can trust you with my phone number" she decided, looking at him expectantly. Finn rushed to pull out his cell phone and handed it over to her. She punched the digits in, complete with her signature star after her name, storing herself into his contacts before returning the phone to him. A thrill passed through her when their hands brushed. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, a single mind blowing sensation that shot straight through to her heart. She couldn't quiet the little voice in her mind telling her that this man was it, exactly what she had been looking for.

"Awesome. It was great meeting you Rachel. I'm sorry again for knocking you down" he said, standing from his place at the table. Rachel immediately followed his lead, smiling when he took her now empty smoothie container and tossed it into the nearby trash bin.

"Don't worry about it. It all worked out and it was lovely meeting you too" Rachel told him, smiling genuinely up at the beautiful man as he handed her yoga mat and bag back to her. It was time for them to part, but she really didn't want to. Hopefully his call would be coming much sooner than later. Tucking the hope away in her mind she waved goodbye to Finn, and took off down the street to make her way home.

Rachel was buzzing with happiness as she flagged a cab for herself and rode home. Try as she might not to over analyze what had just happened with Finn, her mind continued to stray back to him. There was no fighting the mega watt smile stretching her face as she pictured him in her mind and reflected on his perfect chivalry and endearing manor.

She was almost to her apartment when her phone rang suddenly, sending her heart into her throat. She frowned slightly when she looked at the I.D. and saw Jesse's name before beaming again. She couldn't wait to share the news with him and Santana! Well, maybe she should wait a little while with telling Santana. Sure, she had no feelings whatsoever for him, never had, but it was bound to be a little bit awkward.

"Hello" she chirped as she pressed the phone to her ear.

"_Rachel, I have great news_" her friend cheered on the other end of the line. "_You know Sebastian, right_?"

Of course she knew Sebastian. He was pretty much all Jesse talked about since the two of them had started dating shortly after Opening Night. "How could I forget. What about him?"

"_We just had dinner with his cousin Ryder a few days ago; his cute, straight cousin" _Jesse clarified_. "He's single, you're single, I was telling him about my beautiful best friend and he's been asking about you since. He actually gave me his number to pass on to you, if you're interested_."

"Thank you Jesse, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I don't think I'll be needing it" she grinned to herself, Finn's picture flashing through her mind once again.

"_Oh really_" Jesse asked, she could practically hear his eyes widening. "_Care to share why_?"

"I met a guy" Rachel gushed, "a really, _really_ great guy. He might be just exactly what I'm looking for."

When Rachel had finished giving Jesse an extremely detailed play by play of her surprise meeting with Finn and made it home, she rushed into her apartment and hurriedly hopped into the shower. When she stepped out and started to dry herself off, her cell phone started to blare from her room. Draping the towel around herself she hurried out to retrieve it, her excitement peaking when she didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Rachel, this is Finn. Finn Hudson" she heard and her eyes lit up like the stars decorating her bathroom mirror. "I know I'm supposed to wait three days or something, but I couldn't" he told her, sending her heart soaring into the skies.

* * *

_**A/N: Yay Finchel! Let me tell you, this chapter was something seriously challenging to write! I had so much fun working on it with Firewifesara it was a little ridiculous, and we both hope that it turned out as well as we think to you all! Don't forget to head over and read 'Until I Found You' by Firewifesara! Thanks for reading! Really hope you enjoyed, Reviews are welcome!  
**_


	11. Her Forever

_**A/N: First of all, a big shout out to all of you who have been sticking with this story and it's twin! It's meant so so so much to both of us, you guys are awesome! This is not the last chapter so don't worry, but the next will be the epilogue. We attempted writing the first date and it just didn't flow the way that we wanted it to, nor was it as beneficial for what we're trying to convey as we hoped, so we skipped ahead a bit. Warning for this chapter, slightly wanky times are ahead! It took some convincing, but Firewifesara (Finn) finally gave it to me (Rachel)! Enjoy!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters. I do co-own Tessa and Frank.  
**_

_Rachel lay on the couch, arms wound around Finn with her head resting in the crook of his arm as they watched the television together. She had moved in with Finn months ago and in spite of the fact that people said they should be used to one another by now and out of the 'puppy love' phase, she just wasn't. He still set her blood ablaze, made her heart rate quicken, and made her blush like a school girl regularly. Times like these spent between just the two of them, content in his strong, loving arms were what she lived for._

_She just wasn't sure if she could say the same for Finn._

_The fact of the matter was, lately Finn had been acting very...strange. He often got slightly jumpy, especially at any mention of their commitment to one another or their future together. He was sometimes evasive about random things like where he was at lunch when she text him and he didn't reply right away, and cleaning his browser history after every use. She hated to admit that she had checked that last one, but she just couldn't help herself. She tried and tried, but just couldn't shake the paranoid feeling. Could Finn really be getting tired of her? Or worse, was he seeing someone behind her back?_

_"Oh crap, I gotta go" the man beside her cried suddenly, shocking her when he jumped up from their cozy spot on the couch.  
_

_"Where are you going" Rachel asked, following him into their bedroom. She watched him warily as he hurried over to their closet, stripping off the casual t-shirt he had been wearing in favor of a much nicer, maroon button down shirt. She recognized that shirt, Kurt picked that out for him. Finn hardly ever wore that shirt.  
_

_"I, uh, I have a meeting" he said quickly, nonchalantly. Rachel watched her boyfriend with wide, disbelieving eyes. She was an actress for crying out loud, how could he not realize that she would see right through that lie? He was beyond obvious._

_"A Meeting" she repeated, raising a critical brow at him. He was a fireman, they rarely ever had meetings, much less ones that required being dressed up. "I Didn't know you had a meeting?"_

_"I just found out yesterday" he shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Boring work stuff" he added, kicking off his basketball shorts and pulling on a pair of black slacks. She was used to him stripping and dressing in front of her by now, they both did it, but at the moment she just really couldn't appreciate it. She watched as he sat on the edge of the bed quietly, pulling on his socks._

_Rachel crossed her arms around herself, staring at the love of her life as he avoided eye contact with her. He was just sitting there, flat out lying to her in spite of her obvious questioning. In spite of the fury it created in her, she looked at his beautiful face, his soft features and just couldn't bring herself to lash out at him. She loved him to much to lose him, if that's what was happening.  
_

_"Oh, um, okay" she said defeatedly, tucking the hair behind her ear, looking down at her feet. "How long do you think you'll be out?"_

_She followed him out to their front door, resisting the urge to help him as he tucked the dress shirt into his pants. "I should only be a couple of hours" he told her, leaning down to press a deep, gentle kiss to her lips._

_She let herself get wrapped up by the apparent love in the act, trying to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. She just didn't know what to feel. How could he be so sweet and so loving even while he was being so dishonest with her. Was he going to see another woman? Would he press his lips to hers like this? She blinked against the hateful thoughts, gripping his arm possessively in her fingertips. She couldn't really think of Finn that way, could she?_

_"I'll see you after. Love you. Bye" he promised, leaning over to press one more kiss to her pouting lips before disappearing out the door. Rachel closed the door behind Finn, turning to brace her back against it and sliding down to the ground. _

_She held her face in her hands, rubbing her temples rhythmically as she repeated the breathing exercises that she had taught Finn not too long ago. A few months after they had started dating she heard Finn sing for the first time, and it was glorious in spite of being a little rough. His voice was raw and emotional and had a richness to it that she adored, but she also noted that he needed some help with his breathing patterns. Any man of hers could use the training, especially one that chose to spontaneously serenade her at the most romantic of times, or sing her to sleep when she was restless. It also came in handy when they starting going over to her Fathers' house for dinner every once in a while and had small 'karaoke shows' before dining. It was a tradition that her little family had started when she was a young girl, and she was a little surprised at how easily they welcomed Finn into it. She couldn't blame them though, Finn was just too great of a guy not to love.  
_

_Exactly, he was just too good of a guy! "Ugh" she almost growled in confused frustration, shooting up from the ground. There was no way Finn would cheat on her, he would never. Yes, he was gorgeous and she knew for a fact that women threw themselves at him often, but he loved her and only her. He told her so as often as possible, and to be honest he really did everything in his power to make her feel beautiful and cherished. So why, why would he be lying to her? Why was he acting so strange?_

_Rachel paced around their living room, running over the last few weeks in her mind. They were strange, but they weren't necessarily the behavior of a no good dirty cheater. Groaning out loud once again from the conflicted feelings, she did the only thing she could think to do at a time like this. She pulled out her cell phone, and dialed up her best friend._

_"What is it now Hobbit?"_

_Rachel didn't get to talk with Santana as often as when they lived together, but they still found time. Rachel moved in with Finn around the same time that Brittany finally moved in with Santana. It was some crazy kind of symmetry how it all lined up, but none of them were complaining. She still found time to have dinner or movie night with Santana, and the two of them and Brittany had started up taking yoga together again months ago; something Finn found to be a significant perk._

_"It's Finn" she said simply, plopping down onto the couch and pulling her knees up to her chest. Santana had heard her paranoid rantings a few times now, shutting her down each time, mirroring her belief that Finn would never be capable of cheating._

_"Berry, if you don't stop obsessing about Mashed Potato Pants' every move he's finally going to realize what a head case you are and send you packing back to me. No me gusta."_

_Rachel rolled her eyes at her best friend, clutching the phone tighter in her tiny hand._

_"I am not a head case Santana, something is seriously up! I can't describe it to you, I just, I know it" she explained, pinching her eyes shut as she tried to think of the words. "Finn is like my other half San, I can't explain it to you but it's like we're connected and I know that something different is going on in his end, I just can't put my finger on what that is."_

_"Do you hear yourself? It sounds like you're writing some insane sci-fi script" the Latina sighed dramatically. "Listen, if this is really how you feel then you need to talk to the Man Giant about it. You know he can't really lie, especially to you. He gets that gassy infant look anytime he tries and ruins it right away. It's how I knew he was the one who ate the last piece of Brit's birthday cake two months ago."_

_"But he did lie to me San, just five minutes ago" she cried. "I know he was lying and I think he knew that I knew, but he still wouldn't back down. He didn't care."_

_"You're just over thinking things Rachel. What if he was lying to you for a good reason? Like, he told you he was going to work but he's actually going to buy you something fancy, or surprise you somehow? Did you ever think of that?"_

_"Well, no, but I-" she mumbled, throwing her knees over the edge of the couch and leaning onto her elbow to think. She really hadn't considered that as an option. After so many years of self-doubt and rejection, she had automatically started to assume the worst. "I don't know, maybe that's possible."_

_"It is, just trust me on this. If I'm wrong I'll mangle Gigantor and strip him of his man parts myself, but you know I'm usually right."_

"And I was right" the Latina girl laughed, wrapping an arm around Rachel as she finished the story.

"You were, and I'm so glad because I don't know what I'd have done otherwise" Rachel beamed, holding out her flexed hand so that her girls, Kurt and Jesse could examine the shiny, diamond engagement ring on her finger.

As it turned out Finn had been disappearing for little amounts of time looking at jewelers back then, clearing his history of the many web pages he had scoured through looking for the perfect ring for Rachel. That day when she had almost broken down was the very day that Finn had gone to her Fathers home, looking for their blessing for him to ask Rachel to marry him. She wouldn't have dreamed that was what had been going on the whole time, but she was more than ecstatic when she found out. Finn had barely gotten his whole proposal out when Rachel launched herself into his arms, tumbling to the ground and giving him her answer physically as well as vocally.

"Ugh, enough of this mushy crap" Santana said, no doubt noting the serene smile glued to Rachel's face as she stood up from her seat. "Save that for your wedding day. This is your bachelorette party so no more thoughts of Finnegan, he's not here for a reason!" All of her friends cheered around her, even Quinn and Kurt who were obviously closer to Finn than the rest of them. Maybe that had something to do with the almost empty cups in both of their hands, she certainly assumed so from their glassy eyes.

Santana, being Rachel's maid of honor, was in charge of the party and had decided they should have it right there at Finn and Rachel's since he and his boys would be staying out the same night for Finn's bachelor party. They could drink all they wanted and everyone could crash right there, making it the perfect place for such a party.

"She's right Rachel" Quinn agreed, taking a sip of the fruity concoction Santana had made for the party.

Rachel distinctly remembered that drink and tried to get her friend to buy something normal, but she wasn't having it. Apparently bachelorette parties were about getting completely wasted and forgetting about the man you were about to commit your life too for just one final night. Rachel was failing so far, already missing Finn deeply and taking baby sips from her own cup.

"Let's get this party started" Brittany cheered the very moment a knock was heard on the door. She hopped up from her seat and bounced toward the front door singing '_strip clubs and dollar bills_'. Rachel's brow furrowed at the words, but she didn't catch on quick enough. In what seemed like a blur three firemen rushed in when Brittany opened the door. She barely heard their practiced lines before loud music reached her ears, and the clothes started to come off.

"Santana" she screeched, looking to her best friend. "I said I didn't want strippers!"

"Actually Berry, you said you didn't want me and Brit to be your strippers when you volunteered. You never rejected the idea itself" she shrugged.

With a smirk she pushed Rachel back until her bottom hit a chair now in the middle of the room. "Now just relax and have fun" she called, backing away as the lead dancer moved in front of her, rubbing his overly oiled chest in front of her. He soon propped a foot up on the chair, his foot resting between her thighs as he started to gyrate wildly before her eyes. Sensing her friends around her, watching for her reaction, she soon gave in and laughed with them, even tapping the man's behind lightly when he turned around signaling for her to do so. It did nothing for her, she much preferred Finn's behind to this man's, or any others for that matter, but this _was_ her party and she did have an obligation to participate.

So she did.

Rachel accepted multiple lap dances from each one of the dancers and even stood up on the coffee table and gave a dance of her own at Brittany's urging. She was much more content to sit on the sidelines, mingling with her guests while Brittany danced on the table for Santana's enjoyment. She found it was much easier to pretend that she had actually finished her first drink and was enjoying others that way. The more invested in the party she seemed, the more her friends let loose and indulged in their own drinks, and it wasn't long before Rachel suspected she might be the only sober one left.

By the time the dancers packed up their stuff and left, the party was quickly dying down. The lights were dim, there were cups and plastic wrappers from the elegant penis shaped lollipops Santana had bought for the occasion littering the floor, but she could worry about that tomorrow. For now, she crept around the room making sure that everyone had their things and knew where they would be sleeping for the night. Before she knew it Jesse was getting ready to leave. He was the only one who looked sober enough to leave, and wished Rachel a happy hangover before departing. Soon after Quinn and Kurt retired to their room together, both giving Rachel sloppy kisses on the cheek. And lastly, after a few more vigorous dances together and a shared cup of 'the juice' Santana and Brittany's bodies ended up entwined on the couch, Brittany snoring into Santana's collarbone as they laid together.

Rachel waited around a few minutes, tidying the pillows on the edges of the couch and laying a thin sheet over her two friends as she waited to make sure that everyone was actually asleep. After fifteen minutes of waiting and sending quiet thank you's to the alcoholic beverage that had taken all of her friends down, she crept to the closet by the front door. She picked up her already packed overnight bag and tiptoed out as quietly as possible, closing the door with the slightest click.

Once outside she took a deep breath, smiling to herself as she walked away. She would have to be up super early in the morning to make sure that none of them realized she had snuck out, but it would be worth it. Screw this whole 'forgetting about the groom' thing, she wanted to see her man. When they planned this whole separated arrangement she thought they would be able to make it, but the closer they got to the date the more antsy she got about it. So, knowing that their friends would give them hell if they changed their deal, they made other plans.

Rachel hurried over to the hotel that Finn would be staying in that night and checked into the second room they had agreed to book for themselves. None of their friends would approve of them sneaking away from their respective parties just to be together, but they hadn't really spent a night apart since they had moved in together and the thought of sleeping away from Finn for such a ridiculous, cliche reason just didn't make any sense to her. She wanted her man, and she wanted him now.

In more ways than one.

Rachel got into the shower with thoughts of all of the things she wanted to do when she saw her fiance, becoming increasingly more excited for his arrival with each passing minute. When Rachel claimed that she and Finn were connected people always made fun of her, but as if he sensed her desire for him in that moment, her phone buzzed. She was drying herself off and picked it up from the counter quickly to open up the message from Finn.

**Pucks out. Meet you at our room ;)**

She smiled coyly at his use of the winky face, realizing that he was already caught up to her mood even without having spoken in the last few hours. She would have thought that she would be more skeptical about Noah dragging Finn to a strip club for his bachelor party, but she really and honestly did trust Finn. That being said she wanted to be sure that by the end of the night that the memory of no tacky stripper would be left in his brain; there was only room for her. With a wicked smile she hung up the towel, moved into the bedroom to open her overnight bag and took out the stunning, black, strappy heels that Finn loved. They didn't come out often, but she immensely enjoyed the outcome when they did.

Rachel hopped into the center of their bed with the heels in place on her feet. She moved about the large mattress, trying out different poses until she decided on the one she liked. She sat up with her hands pressed into the mattress behind her, her legs stretched out in front of her crossed at the ankles as she stared at the door, _completely naked_.

She grinned at her own boldness, imagining how Finn's perfect jaw would drop to the floor when he walked in and found her in such a position. It had been some time since either of them had mentioned the whole 'naked man' incident, but what better time than now to re-test the odds? Even if it would technically be considered cheating; Finn was a sure thing.

Soon she heard movement outside the door, and took deep steadying breaths until it was opened. As expected, Finn's eyes widened almost comically as he soaked in the sight of her, shutting the door behind him quietly. It made her heart soar to know that he'd spent most of his night in the presence of multiple naked women and yet he still had such a reaction to _her_, the same woman that he was with every day. She loved this perfect man so much.

"Hello Finn" she smiled, shifting forward on her knees to crawl to the edge of the bed, beckoning her husband to be towards her with a crooked finger.

It was purely intoxicating just the effect that she had on this beautiful man, watching him lose it where he stood. Finn quickly started to shed his own clothing as he made a beeline towards her on the bed. She had kind of been hoping to strip him herself, but his urgent mood caught up to her quickly as he approached her. He growled, setting fire to her lower half as he wrapped his strong arms around her and pressed his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss.

She returned his kiss just as eagerly, and soon reached down to pull the shoes from her feet before his large, calloused palm came over hers to stop it. "No way. They stay on" he growled, not giving her the chance to resist even if she wanted to before pressing his lips to hers again, gripping her thighs and pulling her small body forward so that she was straddling him where he stood.

His soft lips descended from her mouth to the sensitive skin of her neck, nipping and sucking there just the way that she liked. She was puddy in his hands when he took control like this. Further asserting himself Finn spun them around, pressing Rachel against the wall roughly, continuing his assault on her neck. She ground her exposed center against him, almost whining in anticipation until Finn finally pushed forward, connecting their bodies and giving Rachel the sweet friction she craved.

She cried out loud, completely uncaring of their neighbors as Finn made love to her. He held her firmly against the wall and pressed urgent kisses to her willing lips, pouring all of his love into his movements. Rachel clutched him to her, gripping tufts of his hair in her tiny hands and meeting each of his thrusts with her own until she saw stars.

Finn gazed deeply into her eyes when he joined her in climax and pressed a much gentler kiss to her swollen lips. He pulled them away from the wall and she sighed blissfully as he walked them back to the bed, lying her down gently on the sheets. He crawled on next to her, stroking his large fingers lovingly over her now clammy face as she stared at him, completely happy with the way the night had turned out.

"Well" she started, looking up at him with a timid smile. "Looks like the Naked Man, or well, woman in this case, is indeed effective" she mused, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder.

"Three out of five times babe" Finn chuckled. "You should try your luck again some time."

"I just might do that. For science" she added mock seriously.

Finn released another hearty laugh before leaning over Rachel, looking down on her with a smirk. "Can't wait."

* * *

"Are you ready, sweetheart?"

Rachel looked up at the anxious sound of her father, Leroy's voice.

"Absolutely" she smiled surely, looking to both he and her daddy Hiram with a beaming smile.

It was the day of her wedding and Rachel hadn't been able to wipe the blinding smile from her face. In just a few moments she would be walking through those double doors, take the hand of the love of her life, and be able to truly call him hers for the rest of her life. She didn't feel the least bit of apprehension about the question of spending the rest of her life with Finn Hudson; as a matter of fact, having not seen him at all that morning, she was fairly certain that when they opened those doors she would want to pull up her lace dress and run full force to him.

The wedding march started up and she bounced in place, clutching to both of her fathers' arms. "We're so proud of you sweetie" Hiram whispered, placing a chaste kiss to her cheek as the doors opened.

Rachel's breath lodged in her throat at the sight of her fiance' standing there sure and tall, a dazzling smile on his face that rivaled her own. He looked absolutely dashing in his suit, and her heart leaped in her chest at the sight of him. Her eyes stayed locked on his, the rest of the crowded room fading away as she walked straight towards her forever.

_**You guys just don't understand how the process of writing of this chapter went. Writing a story from two different POV's is hard enough, but writing two part smut is a whole other animal! Firewifesara and I pretty much resorted to sexting for this chapter, we reached a whole new level of friendship for you all, so we hope you like it! Thanks for reading, as always don't forget to read 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara! Reviews are love, when they're nice!  
**_


	12. Faithfully His

_**We can' thank you guys enough for your support on this story! I've always loved Firewifesara, but I had no idea how much fun it would be to get to work with her! This has been such an amazing experience, and I'm lucky to be able to call her a friend and mistress. #Bond She is amazingly awesome and has some equally awesome stories that you should go check out. For now though, here is the final chapter of 'Until I Found Him'. Don't forget to go read Finn's side of the story in 'Until I Found Her' by Firewifesara. The link is in my bio!**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, Beauty and the Beast, MOLM or any of the characters and Frank are still ours, and we have indeed locked them up until we need them again.**_

* * *

Rachel stood in the steamy shower, rinsing her long brown hair as she ran over the events from that morning in her mind. She loved being intimate with Finn, from the time they had first met she had felt an immediate and intense attraction to him that was only nurtured as time went on. Even so, she had to admit that she was taken aback by her own behavior when she literally pounced on him and had her way with him that morning. That's not to say that he didn't meet her aggressiveness with a fervor of his own however, her breasts were still lightly sore from his deliciously rough hands.

She started to lather the smooth flesh with her vanilla body wash, wincing slightly as she rubbed her fingers over the small orbs. It was ironic really, the whole thing had started with him making a comment about her breasts seeming too small for her bra. The comment had initially annoyed her, making her feel self conscious for about two seconds before she noticed the way his eyes seemed to glint under the lighting and the way his t-shirt was hugging his broad shoulders so enticingly. Rachel immediately ran into his arms, pushing him down to the floor so they could ravish one another right where they were.

The goofy smile adorning her face at the extremely vivid memory of just how thorough their bout had been was quickly erased by another small scowl as she massaged her breasts. Maybe Finn had been a tad rougher with her than she was remembering, but she usually loved it when his rough side came out. Over the past few months they had been trying all sorts of things sexually as they had been talking about having children, well, she did most of the talking, but she knew how much he wanted it too. She had seen rough Finn, smooth Finn, half-awake Finn, and even once sneaky Finn when they had gone at it in her dressing room at the theater, reasoning that the high stakes and adrenaline might aid in conception; that was Finn's idea of course, but she was willing to give it a shot. There was something about that little dressing room, her first single one when she finally scored the role of Belle in _'Beauty and the Beast_' on Broadway. When she had first invited Finn backstage she saw the immense pride in his eyes soon eclipse into something more mischievous and sensual, he'd just been waiting for an opportunity to strike and strike he did, more than once that day if she was being honest. Her director would_ never_ hear about that!

The past few months had definitely been exciting to say the very least. Their intimacy had never been lacking; Finn was an attentive and enthusiastic lover and any time she had ever been left sore they were the good kinds of sore, never the annoying ache she felt now as she stared down at her petite breasts pointedly. They did actually look just the slightest bit larger now that she studied them closely. She was cupping them in her hands, comparing the sizes when the realization finally hit her, and she gasped aloud, slapping herself in the forehead.

She was only halfway finished with her shower at that point, but she really couldn't care less as she shut off the water and pushed back the shower curtain, grabbing the towel from it's hanger and drying herself as quickly as possible. Rachel ran into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, tipping it to her lips and chugging as quickly as possible. When the glass was empty and she felt the familiar tightening of her bladder she hurried back into the bathroom and pulled out two of the home pregnancy tests that she had been keeping for moments exactly like these. Rachel relieved her pressured kidneys and waited, staring anywhere but at the two small sticks as they worked their magic, praying with everything that she had as she counted down the seconds. When the minute was up she took a deep breath and looked over for the reading, clapping her hand over her mouth as the tears started to flood her shining brown eyes.

* * *

It had been over a whole day, so many miserable yet blissful hours since she saw that little positive sign that changed her life and soon Finn's. She always missed him when he had to work 24 hour shifts at the fire station, but this time in particular had been pure agony. She could have easily called him and screamed the good news into his ear, but that simply didn't do the situation justice. So, she painstakingly waited, refusing to share the news with anyone, even Santana, until she could tell her husband. Adding to the beautiful drama of the situation, what better day was there to tell the man you love that you were about to have a child together than on your birthday?

Rachel's birthday was a known Holiday to all of their friends, it always had been. She knew that Finn always agonized about what to get her and often had to have help from two little birdies named Kurt and Blaine, or even Jesse and Sebastian if he was desperate, but she found that to be extremely cute. It made her heart swell to know that even after so much time together he still cared so much about her happiness; he always put her first. She always did that too to be honest, until she finally found Finn. Since she fell for him in Elite's gym she had continued the pattern, falling for him more and more with every passing day. He was _everything_ to her, well, him and now their baby.

She rubbed the tiny bump that was her belly with an adoring smile. She had started idly thinking to herself how things might have turned out had Finn accused her _stomach_ of getting larger instead of her boobs that day when she heard him coming in the door.

"Rach? Babe" she heard him call, bouncing on her toes slightly.

"Finn thank goodness you're home! I'm in here" she called back, beckoning him into the kitchen. She had all of the fixings for his favorite non-vegan breakfast for the occasion; most importantly bacon.

"Uh, hey babe" he said when he walked in, his gaze straying towards her growing bosom yet again. She didn't even get angry this time, she was just too happy. He was looking at the road map to the news and probably didn't even realize it. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you" Rachel beamed, leaning up to place a longing kiss on the lips she had missed so much. "But today has even more importance than the day I graced this planet" she said excitedly, grasping his large hands in her own. "I have the best news baby!"

"Oh yeah? Does that mean you don't want the present I got you" he asked. Her eyes widened as he took a step back from her and pulled a small, neatly wrapped package from behind his back. Her already excited smile widened at his childlike excitement over giving her a birthday gift, her heart swelling with affection for this beautiful man.

"What? No!" Rachel reached out for the small gift, pouting when he pulled it from her reach.

"No you don't want it?"

Rachel leveled his playfully arched eyebrows with a slightly impatient glare. "Finn Christopher Hudson, hand over my present right now before I pummel you and take it myself" she said sternly, the pregnancy hormones in her kind of hoping that he wouldn't so she could have another excuse to jump him. "I have a surprise to share too."

"Okay okay okay. Here" he chuckled, holding out the small white package with pretty black bow.

Rachel swiped the package from his hands, picking apart the sheer bow excitedly and quickly opening the box, her eyes going wide when she saw the bright pink iPod laying inside. She smiled at the tiny object that played such a huge part in their history; he knew exactly how important metaphors were to her.

"Do you like it" he asked, she could hear the hope in his voice.

"Like it" she repeated, her wide eyes filling with tears as she looked down at the symbol of their love story; their indirect beginning. Their original iPod had meant so much to her, always had, and she couldn't bring herself to part ways with it even after all of this time. When it stopped working, they had decided to keep it as a keepsake anyway. She flipped the small iPod over to find the engraving that she knew would be there, beaming at the perfect words; _Forever Yours. Faithfully_. "I love it. This is so perfect Finn" she gushed, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him, beaming when she felt his muscular arms embrace her back. "I love you so much."

"Yeah? I wanted to find you something special. And I couldn't resist getting it engraved. It's kind of our thing." Rachel smiled at his perfect words, wondering what she ever did to deserve such a thoughtful, caring and loving man. He was going to be an amazing father.

"It certainly is. I couldn't be any happier Finn" she assured him with a watery smile. "This is just too much wonderful for one woman."

"Oh yeah, what's your surprise" he asked suddenly, reminding her of the pressing matter. "Did the Tony people call?"

"Not yet, though I'm still expecting their call soon after such an impressive run in _Beauty and the Beast" _she said matter-of-factually. "But… That's not all I'm expecting."

"Oh yeah? Is Santana coming over?" He was adorable, but he really could be so dense sometimes.

"No, well, not today. Finn, I mean I'm expecting as in 'we're' expecting" she tried again, widening her eyes at him purposefully as she gripped his hands tighter, waiting for the light bulb to go off.

"Expecting what" he asked, his eyebrows scrunching together in what would be adorable confusion if she didn't want him to catch on already. Giving up on being vague because men just never seemed to grasp that, she gripped his hands tighter and laid it all out on the line.

"Finn, Babe, we're expecting a _child" _she told him in a rushed breath. "I'm pregnant Finn, we're going to have a baby" she squealed, feeling her heart soar as she watched the different emotions pass over his handsome face.

"What? You? I? We? A baby" he stuttered, his eyes widening with every disjointed word.

"Yes, a baby Finn. _Our_ baby" she clarified, placing his hands on her small belly and smiling up at him, at the pure feeling of perfect bliss the movement brought her. There was no one else in the world she would rather share this moment, this experience with.

"Are you sure" he asked again, peering into her eyes like he could see her soul. She nodded excitedly to him, thrilled when his eyes lit up. It _finally_ sank in. "Oh my God! I love you so much" he cried, sweeping her into his arms.

"I love you too babe" she laughed, enjoying the feeling of him in her arms as he buried his face in her neck. "I found out yesterday. Turns out you were right, my boobs were getting too big for my bra. For a reason" she explained, grinning as he pulled back to allow his eyes to freely roam over her breasts.

"I'm liking this already."

Finn brushed his lips all over Rachel's neck before bending down to press gentle kisses to the objects of his affection attached to her chest, and she sighed in bliss as he did so. He bent down to his knees in front of her and started to place gentle kisses to her still taut stomach, the love in the act making her heart do flips as she toyed with his perfect hair.

She loved him more than words could even express, more than she had ever loved anything in her life, it was hard to imagine loving someone else in the world that she could love on a level even close to that. But she knew she could, she would, and he would too. There was a tiny person growing in her that would hopefully have all of the best parts of both of them, and they would own both she and Finn's hearts in no time, they already did. Love was crazy like that, she knew, because she had the best teacher in the world when it came to love; Finn. She never knew what she was missing, or how much more there was to love, until she found him.

* * *

_**This has been such a ride! Again, thank you guys so much! We know it's been a little trying for some of you as this was such a unique way to tell the story, but we're so thankful you guys stuck with us!** **This story is complete for now, but if we feel inspired in the future there may be the occasional one shot set in this universe. We really loved creating this together and it may be hard to completely leave it behind.**_

_**I'm actually working on another story right now that I hope to be able to post soon, so you will be seeing me again. I hope that you'll stick around to read it when I post! Thank you guys so much for all of your support, and as always, hope you enjoyed this story! **_


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